Nations Championship
Wales (21) 28
Tries: Griffin, Adams 2, Rees-Zammit Cons: Costelow 3, Edwards
Japan (14) 21
Tries: Gunter, Dearns, Fukuda, Cons: Saito 2, Komura
Wales resumed their Nations Championship campaign with an unconvincing bonus-point victory against Japan at the Principality Stadium.
Tries from prop Archie Griffin, wing Josh Adams and the rejuvenated Louis Rees-Zammit gave Wales a 21-14 half-time lead, with Japan responding with scores from flanker Ben Gunter and lock Warner Dearns.
In a nervy second half, Adams scored his second try before Japan replacement Kenta Fukuda ensured the visitors finished with a losing bonus point and presented a frantic finale which the hosts survived.
Wales secured a fourth win for head coach Steve Tandy in 13 internationals and provided another narrow victory against Eddie Jones’ Japan to mirror the last-gasp Jarrod Evans penalty that sealed a one-point win 12 months ago.
Wales were indebted to strong ball-carrying performances from player-of-the-match Rees-Zammit, full-back Blair Murray, back-row duo Morgan and Wainwright and centre Eddie James.
Tandy should be very concerned about their malfunctioning line-out with six lost, the way they allowed Japan to stay in the game, worrying indiscipline, and wasting attacking opportunities with silly handling errors.
Wales stay in fifth place in the northern hemisphere table after returning to the inaugural international competition.
They had started the tournament in July with a home win over Fiji and defeats in Argentina and South Africa, while Japan had defeated Italy but lost to Ireland and France.
The game was played in front of 52,425 supporters, which was 2,000 more than the opening match against Argentina last November but 9,000 down on the attendance that watched the match against Japan in Cardiff in 2025.
Wales host New Zealand next Saturday before finishing the regular league campaign against Australia, while Japan will travel to face England and Scotland.
Allianz Stadium in Twickenham will then host a three-day finals weekend at the end of November. If the tables stay the same, Wales will play Japan again for the fifth-placed finish in south-west London.