Vanderhaege holds off Inamoto. (Allsport)

By Reece Killworth

Final score: Japan 2 Belgium 2.

Man of the match: Junichi Inamoto. The youngster may have struggled at Arsenal, but he caught the eye here. An industrious midfield display which put his partner Hidetoshi Nakata into the shadows. Scored a goal and could easily have had a second but for a questionable refereeing decision.

90 min: It's all over. Both sides start their campaign by winning a point.

90 min: There will be two minutes of added time here in Saitama.

90 min: Van Meir meets the corner but his header is cleared by Koji Nakata.

90 min: Sonck tumbles in the Japan penalty area appealing for a spot-kick, but he's got a corner.

90 min: Alex gets down the left but his cross evades all but Morishima, who can't turn it goalwards with any power.

89 min: Strupar strikes the free-kick into the wall.

89 min: Belgium win a free-kick in an advanced position down the left flank.

87 min: Hidetoshi dwells on the ball in midfield but eventually wins a free-kick as Vanderhaeghe fouls him on halfway.

86 min: Inamoto has the ball in the net for the second time but the referee has ruled it out. It's hard to see why, but it appears to be for an innocuous clash with Peeters.

84 min: Alex tumbles under pressure from Peeters to win his side a free-kick just inside their own half.

83 min: Verheyen is replaced by Derby striker Branko Strupar.

82 min: Van Meir goes into the book for tripping Morishima 35 yards from the Belgium goal but Japan waste the free-kick.

80 min: Yanagisawa chests down and shoots after Peeters heads the ball into his path, but his shot is always rising.

78 min: Koji Nakata heads back to his own keeper as Goor looks to latch on to a curling ball into the area.

77 min: Hidetoshi Nakata, who has struggle to impose himself, is pulled up for a foul deep in the Belgium half.

75 min: GOAL - VAN DER HEYDEN. The half-clearance from Japan falls to Van Meir. He lofts the ball over the top to Van der Heyden, who finishes coolly by chipping the keeper.

75 min: Goor whips the corner in to the edge of the box but Toda and Koji Nakata combine to clear.

74 min: Narazaki can only punch Miyamoto's sliced clearance out for a corner down the Belgium right.

72 min: Tsuneyasu Miyamoto comes on for Japan, replacing Morioka.

72 min: Morioka leaves the field on a stretcher with what looks to be a foot problem. Japan have switched to a back four for the time being.

71 min: Morishima is straight into the action as he bursts into the left-hand side of the Belgium area but his cross is blocked.

69 min: Japan replace Suzuki with Hiroaki Morishima while Belgium bring Wesley Sonck - top-scorer in the Belgian league this season - on for Walem.

69 min: GOAL - INAMOTO. Inamoto breaks through past Van Meir and into the area. De Vlieger races from goal but Inamoto drills past him with his left foot.

67 min: Morioka gets back to his feet after tumbling off the ball.

65 min: Yanagisawa breaks out of midfield and skips past a couple of challenges. He tumbles under pressure from Vanderhaeghe on the edge of the box, but the referee waves away his appeal for a free-kick.

65 min: Wilmots clips in the free-kick but Morioka outjumps Verheyen at the back post.

65 min: Walem goes down under pressure from Hidetoshi Nakata 35 yards out just left of centre.

64 min: Ono, who was a fitness doubt in the build-up, leaves the field to be replaced by Alessandro 'Alex' Santos, a naturalised Brazilian.

63 min: Hidetoshi Nakata's flag-kick is wasted as Belgium clear the short corner easily.

63 min: Ono's free-kick is tipped over by De Vlieger.

62 min: Yanagisawa goes down in almost exactly the same spot as two minutes ago, but this time he gets the free-kick. Peeters was the man who fouled him and he goes in to the book.

61 min: Verheyen goes into the book for a foul in midfield.

60 min: It's all Japan now and Yanagisawa pleads for a free-kick deep in Belgian territory, but the referee waves away his appeal.

59 min: GOAL - SUZUKI. The lead lasts just two minutes as Japan level through Suzuki. The striker capitalises on a defensive blunder to prod home from just inside the box.

58 min: Wilmots sprays the ball over the top to Verheyen but Morioka is again on hand to cut out his run.

57 min: GOAL - WILMOTS. Walem's free-kick is lofted back in to the box by Van Meir. Wilmots' acrobatic effort goes under keeper Narazaki to put Belgium in front.

56 min: Goor bursts down the left but again it's Morioka who comes across to clear the danger.

55 min: Verheyen flicks a long Peeters throw on, but he's been pulled up for a shove on Morioka.

54 min: Inamoto goes into the book for pulling down Verheyen just inside the Japan half.

53 min: Belgium are having the better of the possession.

52 min: Verheyen powers forward but his ball out to the left flank is swept back to Narazaki who hacks it out of play for a throw.

50 min: Suzuki knocks the ball out of De Vlieger's hands and is penalised by the referee.

49 min: Wilmots appeals for a corner after latching on to a header over the top from Goor but the referee awards a goal-kick.

48 min: Morioka has to nip in at the back to hack clear for a throw.

46 min: They're underway again in Saitama.

HT: Japan 0 Belgium 0.

45 min: That's half-time. Wilmots had a great chance to score for Belgium, but it's honours even as they go to the break.

45 min: There will be one minute of added time at the end of the half.

45 min: Hidetoshi Nakata turns nicely on the left and sends over a cross which Yanagisawa climbs to meet. Unfortunately for Japan he can only flick it on and Belgium clear at the back post.

45 min: The two Nakatas try to link up down the right but Hidetoshi's run through is halted by Peeters, who clears.

44 min: Yanagisawa draws a free-kick from Peeters with a nice touch.

43 min: A promising Japan attack is halted when Suzuki concedes a free-kick down the right.

42 min: Vanderhaeghe goes down with what looks to be back trouble, but he quickly gets back to his feet as the referee approaches.

41 min: Peeters flings the ball long into the Japan area. Vanderhaeghe flicks it goalwards but it's easily gathered by Narazaki.

40 min: Walem gets free down the left but his lofted cross is poor and Morioka has time to head clear for a throw.

39 min: Ichikawa cuts in from the right flank into the area but his cross is cut out by Van Meir.

38 min: Peeters breaks out of midfield and draws a free-kick from Ono just inside the Japan half.

36 min: Wilmots' shot from Vanderhaeghe's left-footed cross deflects to Goor. His effort drifts wide when he should have done better.

36 min: The crowd erupts as Hidetoshi Nakata shoots from 25 yards out to the right of goal, but his effort sails harmlessly over.

35 min: Van Meir receives a reprimand after pulling down Suzuki just inside the Japan half.

34 min: Ono pulls down Peeters five yards from the Belgium goal in the corner as he looks to latch on to a long ball.

32 min: Yanagisawa just fails to keep in a great ball from deep.

31 min: Toda's rash challenge on Verheyen in midfield earns him a booking.

30 min: The flag-kick is headed goalwards by Simons, but it's straight at Narazaki.

29 min: Goor powers down the left and crosses to Peeters. His shot is blocked out to Goor who sends a fine cross over. Wilmots meets it with a powerful header which Seigo Narazaki pushes out for a corner.

28 min: Inamoto sprays the ball foward towards Yanagisawa but it drifts out of play for a throw down the Belgium left.

27 min: Hidetoshi Nakata's back-heel in the box almost finds Yanagisawa in the box, but the Belgians have got back in numbers to clear.

26 min: Goor can't keep the ball in play down the left after beating Ichikawa to get the flick-on.

24 min: Walem goes in high on Ichikawa, who goes down theatrically and wins the free-kick.

23 min: Peeters gets down the right and floats over a lovely cross which Vanderhaeghe connects with. His header is just off target.

22 min: Goor tries to clip the ball over the top, but it sails out for a goal-kick.

21 min: Hidetoshi Nakata is starting to take control in midfield as he forces a couple of free-kicks with neat skills.

20 min: Daisuke Ichikawa powers down the right on to Toda's through-ball. Peter Van der Heyden comes across, pulls him down and goes into the book.

19 min: Ono knocks the ball sideways to Kazuyuki Toda, but his long-range shot is always drifting over the bar.

19 min: Bart Goor is pulled up for tripping Suzuki, who was looking to break on goal. The free-kick is 35 yards out on the left.

18 min: Ono draws a free-kick from Marc Wilmots just inside the Belgium half out on the left flank.

17 min: Suzuki tries to feed Ono down the left but only manages to pass the ball straight out of play for a Belgium throw on halfway.

16 min: Suzuki forces a throw down the left. Hidetoshi Nakata tries to weave his magic but Peeters dives in well to clear.

15 min: Japan continue to defender well from the front, chasing down every ball and rushing the Belgian defenders.

14 min: Gert Verheyen holds the ball up on the edge of the box and knocks it back to Vanderhaeghe. He shoots, but his effort is well blocked by Morioka.

13 min: Hidetoshi Nakata's corner, which arrowed towards Ono's head, is well claimed by De Vlieger.

12 min: Suzuki turns and shoots in the Belgium penalty area. Daniel van Buyten has to turn it behind for a corner.

11 min: Inamoto finds himself some space down the right flank but his cross in is poor, drifting straight out of play for a goal-kick.

10 min: Takayuki Suzuki breaks down the left but Jacky Peeters draws a free-kick from him with a clever piece of defending.

8 min: It's been a bright start in Saitama, although neither side has found a quality final ball just yet.

6 min: The free-kick is cleared and Nakata breaks, but Atsushi Yanagisawa strays offside.

4 min: Gert Verheyen wins a free-kick on the edge of the Japan box after Morioka pulls him down.

3 min: Morioka is on hand to head the flag-kick clear.

2 min: Belgium force the first corner of the match, with Morioka having to head clear a Peeters cross.

1 min: After a rousing rendition of the Japanese anthem by a packed house, Japan get the game underway.