Japan lost to Italy 43-40 in the women's foil final at the International Fencing Federation team World Cup in Saint-Maur, France, on Sunday.
According to the Japanese Fencing Federation, the runner-up finish by Sera Azuma, Yuka Ueno, Komaki Kikuchi and Karin Miyawaki is the best World Cup result achieved by Japan in the women's foil team event.
"I am happy with the runner-up finish, which is the result of us working well together as a team. Next time, I want to win a gold medal," Ueno said.
Japan, which placed sixth in the event at the Olympic Games during the summer, beat Spain and the United States to reach the semifinals, where it beat the Tokyo Games' gold-winning Russian Olympic Committee 31-26.