The result at  Amman’s International Stadium - an exact replica of the last final in Vietnam four years ago - means Asako Takakura’s charges are the first team to win back-to-back titles since North Korea in 2003.

The teams were meeting seven days after their 1-1 draw in the group stages, and Japan had to thank their keeper, Ayaka Yamashita, for keeping them in the hunt as Australia applied heavy early pressure.

After 13 minutes she made a double save which denied Sam Kerr’s spinning volley and Lisa De Vanna’s follow-up, and two minutes later she saved Elise Kelland-Knight’s penalty after her captain, Saki Kumagai, had handled Tameka Butt’s shot in the area.

Japan recovered themselves as the half wore on, but shortly after the break the Australians had another near miss as Emily van Egmond sent the ball crashing against the bar from 35 yards out.

The goal came against the run of play.

Twelve minutes after coming on, 24-year-old forward Yokoyama received a pass from Yui Hasegawa, took a touch around Alanna Kennedy and drilled the ball into the top corner for her fourth goal in the tournament in just 100 minutes of playing time.

The final watched by a crowd of 3, 065.

Earlier in the day in the International Stadium China, winners of this Cup a record eight times, won their third-place match against Thailand 3-1.

Second-half goals from Li Ying, Wang Shanshan and Song Duan put the Chinese in full control before Rattikan Thongsombut pulled a goal back with just nine minutes remaining.

The top five teams in Amman – South Korea beat the Phillipines 5-0 in the fifth-place match – qualified for next year’s FIFA World Cup finals in France.