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Homare Sawa and Mami Yamaguchi each scored twice, with Azusa Iwashimizu, Aya Sameshima, Aya Miyama and second-half substitute Megumi Kamionobe picking up the other goals.
The win put Japan at the top of Group A ahead of defending champions DPR Korea. The Koreans beat Thailand 3-0 in their opening game.
“Our players did well for the full 90 minutes,” said Nadeshiko Japan coach Norio Sasaki.
The Nadeshiko dominated the game attacked aggressively.
Defender Iwashimizu opened the scoring four minutes into the game. Sawa made it 2-0 six minutes later and Yamaguchi scored from the spot in the 28th minute, which gave Japan a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Sameshima and Miyama got on the scoresheet in the 50th and 54th minutes, respectively, before Yamaguchi made it 6-0 in the 60th minute.
Sawa found the target again in the 71st minute, before substitute midfielder Kamionobe wrapped up the scoring in the 85th minute.
“Our players showed our brand of football and were positive both in attack and defense,” Sasaki said. “We lost our first game in the previous Asian Cup and at the Beijing Olympics, but the experience of those tournaments helped us in today’s game.”
Sawa commented, “The first game is always difficult in any tournament, so it was good to collect three points today.”
“We passed around the ball well although the pitch condition was not so good. But the stronger your opponents will be, the more one goal can be important. We should have scored on all the chances we had, and that’s something we have to improve on.”
The top three finishers in the tournament will earn a ticket to the World Cup finals in Germany.
Japan will next play Thailand on Saturday.
Japan team:
Ayumi Kaihori, Akiko Sudo, Saki Kumagai, Azusa Iwashimizu, Kyoko Yano, Aya Sameshima, Homare Sawa, Aya Miyama, Yukari Kinga (Megumi Kamionobe, 79), Shinobu Ohno (Megumi Takase, 65), Mami Yamaguchi (Kozue Ando, 65). Coach, Norio Sasaki
Goals—Azusa Iwashimizu (4), Homare Sawa (10, 71), Mami Yamaguchi (28 pen, 60), Aya Sameshima (49), Aya Miyama (54), Megumi Kamionobe (86) for Japan
Cautions—Megumi Takase (Japan)
Expulsions—none
Referee—Hong Eun Ah (Korea Republic)
Attendance—360
