Akito Watabe secured his first World Cup win in a year on Friday in the 15th event of the Nordic combined series in Finland.
Watabe started the 10-km cross country leg in joint eighth place after the ski jump with 112.9 points and a 54-second deficit alongside Germany's world championship double gold medalist Johannes Rydzek.
But skiing in the soft and slow conditions he excels in, Sochi Olympic silver medalist Watabe had the better power reserves as he kept Rydzek, known as a strong finisher behind him on the final stretch to claim his sixth overall World Cup victory.
Rydzek's compatriot Fabian Riessle was third.
"On the cross country track, new snow covered the wet snow and it felt slow, but I had a really good ski today and it was easy to follow the group," said Watabe, whose last World Cup win came in March last year.
"I had much power at the end and was full gas at the last kilometer. I am really satisfied to have the victory and beat a strong sprinter in Johannes."
Also for Japan, Taihei Kato was seventh, Takehiro Watanabe finished 27th and Hideaki Nagai 38th.