Japan is in fourth place after the first day of action in the inaugural team figure skating event at the Sochi Olympic Games on Thursday night.
Russia leads the three-day competition with a total of 19 points, while Canada is second with 17 and China stands third on 15.
The Russians were paced by Evgeni Plushenko, who was second in singles, and the pairs team of Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, which placed first.