Japan's women successfully defended their East Asia Softball Cup title on home soil ©WBSC

Japan's women successfully defended their East Asia Softball Cup title on home soil at the Hirosaki City Sports Park ballpark in Aomori Prefecture.

The host nation romped to an 8-0 win over Chinese Taipei in the final to ensure that they went through the tournament with a 100 per cent record.

Pitcher Yukiko Ueno, a hero when Japan won the Olympic softball title at the Beijing 2008 Games, teamed-up with Yamato Fujita to shut-out their opponents.

South Korea thrashed China 10-3 in the third/fourth place play-off.

All four countries take part in the tournament annually, with the host nation rotating between the quartet.

Pitcher Yukiko Ueno was a star performer for Japan ©Getty Images
Pitcher Yukiko Ueno was a star performer for Japan ©Getty Images

Japan were crowned as world champions in 2012 and 2014 but they lost their title in 2016 after defeat to the United States in the final in Surrey in Canada.

They will be the "defending" Olympic champions when softball returns to the Games programme on home soil at Tokyo 2020.

The sport, along with baseball, was axed from the schedule after Beijing so did not feature at London 2012 or Rio 2016.

It was restored to the programme in August after Japanese organisers proposed baseball and softball for inclusion in Tokyo, along with climbing, karate, skateboarding and surfing.