Having suffered defeat in three of yesterday’s four finals, the Japanese were out to prove a point.

Momo Tamaoki set them on their way to a memorable closing session with an ippon victory over North Korea’s Kim Jin A in the women’s under-57 kilograms category. 

"I trained very hard for this competition and the extra work paid off," the former world junior champion, who had trailed 1-0, said. 

"Even when I was down a point I was confident I could do it and I was able to do that combination throw I have been practising.

"This was a very tough competition.

"But it will be excellent preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."

Tamaoki's win was followed by victories for Olympic champion Shohei Ono and Asian champion Name Nabekura in the men’s under-73kg and women’s under-63kg finals respectively.

Ono beat South Korea’s An Changrim with a waza-ari after seven minutes of golden score, while Nabekura defeated The Philippines' Kiyomi Watanabe, who became the first judoka from her country to medal at the Asian Games, by ippon.

There was also success for Japan in the last final of the day as Saki Niizoe overcame defending champion Kim Seongyeon of South Korea in the women’s under-70kg division.

Niizoe prevailed with a waza-ari in golden score to cap-off a productive day for the 2020 Olympic Games hosts.

"I knew the opponent was strong and would likely be a long bout," Niizoe told Kyodo News of her four-minute encounter.

"But it is a confidence boost that I won it without losing stamina.

"Because my previous two compatriots won gold, I felt pressure that I had to follow. 

"But in the end, I thought I can win if I just fight my fight."

The one final in which Japan were not represented was that in the men’s under-81kg category, which saw Kazakhstan’s Didar Khamza upset the odds to beat Iran’s Saeid Mollaei, a 2017 world bronze medallist, by ippon.

Khamza had earlier defeated Japan’s Takeshi Sasaki in the semi-finals.

Sasaki went onto lose his bronze medal match against Kyrgyzstan's Vladimir Zoloev.

Mongolia's Uuganbaatar Otgonbaatar overcame South Korea's Lee Seungsu in the other contest.

Also claiming bronze medals today were Mongolia's Sumiya Dorjsuren and Chinese Taipei's Lien Chen-Ling in the women’s under-57kg, and the United Arab Emirates' Victor Scvortov and Iran's Mohammad Mohammadi Barimanlou in the men’s under-73kg.

Third-place honours in the women’s under-63kg division went to South Korea’s Han Heeju and China’s Tang Jing, while Uzbekistan's Gulnoza Matniyazova and Mongolia's Naranjargal Tsend-Ayush rounded out the women’s under-70kg podium.

Judo action at the 2018 Asian Games is due to continue tomorrow with a further five finals scheduled.