Second half strikes from Risa Shimizu and Hinata Miyazawa eventually got Japan past a stubborn Norway team in Wellington as the 2011 World Champions booked a space in the final eight.

Japan took the game to Norway from the first whistle, racking up four corners and lots of last-ditch blocks and challenges in the opening twelve minutes.

Although they hadn’t tested Aurora Mikalsen in goal, with fifteen minutes elapsed, the pressure told.

Hinata Miyazawa, scorer supremo so far at this World Cup with four, advanced and had a go which took a significant nick off the outstretched leg of defender, Ingrid Syrstad Engen, wrongfooting Mikalsen in goal who was left sprawling at thin air as Japan hit the front once more.

However, not reading the script, Norway hauled themselves back on level terms within five minutes and it was an excellently executed move.

From Mikalsen’s goal kick, the ball was well won and recycled wide to Vilde Boe Risa on the right.  Her cross was a thing of beauty and matching it was the finish applied by Chelsea’s Guro Reiten, directing a bullet header past Ayaka Yamashita as Japan’s streak of clean sheets abruptly ended.

That equaliser prompted a more settled pace to the match, Japan attacking with gusto but up against an exceptionally well-drilled Norway team who also posed problems when attacking themselves.

It was forty minutes that were far from cagey but also not full of many clearcut chances, both keepers generally unworked.

The right flank was kept busy by the lively running of Risa Shimizu who sliced an effort high but engineered the opportunity by staying wide and arriving into the box unnoticed as Japan sought the key to pick the stubborn lock Norway posed.

Buoyed by bouncing back so quickly though, Norway’s resilience was on full display and far from under the pump, the sides couldn’t be split, so went in at 1-1.

Not long into the second half however and Japan had their noses back ahead, Tanaka conducting a flowing move which led to penalty box pinball.

Boe Risa then unwisely attempted to pass clear which fell to the feet of an alert Shimizu who stabbed home a crucial strike, her third for her country, would the West Ham woman be the matchwinner?

As proceedings ticked along, Japan controlling the ball, talk turned to whether Norway would deploy star forward, Ada Hegerberg, an injury doubt before, from the bench but more worryingly for them was Japan successfully stifling any attempts to build attacks.

The Japanese went close to giving themselves breathing room but miscued a final touch or pass on multiple occasions as Hegerberg entered the fray with fifteen minutes to make her mark.

Another substitute nearly was the hero though, Karina Saevik hooking a fiery shot across the post, as Yamashita was given something to think about.

Then a goal did come, for Japan, the counterattack creating it as youngster Aoba Fujino provided the perfect pass through a scattered Norwegian defence where Miyazawa had scampered straight through the vacated space and finished with the fantastic form of a player with five goals now in four World Cup outings.

Going into injury time, Yamashita pulled off a stunning, off-the-line save to stop Norway causing any late jitters, neatly encapsulating their cool heads all the way throughout the tournament.

Spirited and physical, Norway put up a hell of a fight but bow out to a Japan side, hitting unstoppable form at the peak time.

Quarterfinal opposition will soon be known either in the form of the U.S.A or Sweden, who meet tomorrow.   Japan, you feel, will relish whatever challenge any team throws at them.

Whether the same could be said for whoever has to face them, remains to be seen.