Urawa Reds beat recent Asian Champions League winners and bitter rivals Kashima Antlers 1-0 in their Emperor's Cup semifinal on Wednesday to set up a meeting with Vegalta Sendai in the final.
Urawa, looking for a seventh Emperor's Cup title on Sunday, advanced to their first final in the competition since 2015. On that occasion, they lost 2-1 against Gamba Osaka.
The winner of the Emperor's Cup, Japan's oldest soccer tournament, automatically qualifies for the 2019 Asian Champions League group stage.