Nagoya Grampus clinched third place and an Asian Champions League playoff berth with a 1-0 win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Saturday, the last day of the J. League top flight season.
Naoki Maeda struck the winner in the 86th minute of a closely fought battle at Toyota Stadium where each team had just two shots on target.
Massimo Ficcadenti's squad ended the season on a six-match unbeaten run to edge Cerezo Osaka and Kashima Antlers in the race for third and a place in the ACL playoffs.