Japan managed to take a match off China but the two-time defending Olympic champions prevailed 3-1 in the end to win another gold medal in the men's team event at the Rio Games on Wednesday.
Jun Mizutani saved three match points to score his first career victory over Xu Xin in five games, but reigning Olympic and world champion Ma Long won twice for China, which also won the doubles.
Japan's silver is its first in the men's team, and will be great motivation as the squad looks to plot a way to dethrone China at the next Summer Games in 2020 in Tokyo.