A rare penalty miss from Yasuhito Endo handed Kashima Antlers the Fuji Xerox Super Cup with a 5-3 shootout win after a 1-1 regulation-time draw on Saturday.
Marquinhos gave Kashima a 20th-minute lead in the match between J. League and Emperor's Cup champions at National Stadium, before Akira Kaji wiped out the deficit with a long-range drive in first-half injury time.
But neither side could find the goal to settle the match over 90 minutes, and with no extra time to be played it was left to penalties to separate two teams squaring off in the traditional season curtain-raiser for the second year running.