National team manager Takeshi Okada was not impressed by the weakened squads Scotland and Togo rustled up for last month's friendlies, but motivation is hardly likely to be an issue for this weekend's opponent.
Japan plays World Cup host South Africa in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, with the "Bafana Bafana" desperate to start building some long-awaited momentum before the tournament begins next June.
South Africa looked set to become a continental powerhouse when it was readmitted to the international fold in 1992, but now faces an uphill struggle to avoid humiliation in the first World Cup on African soil.