Japan defeated Romania 3-0 to reach the women's semifinals at the world team table tennis championships Thursday, while Japan's men's team lost 3-0 against China in the quarterfinals.
The Japanese women are guaranteed at least bronze in Busan, South Korea, as there is no third-place contest. They have earned a place on the medal podium for the fifth time in a row.
World No. 14 Mima Ito gave Japan momentum against Romania by winning a close match against 12th-ranked Bernadette Szocs 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9.
Hina Hayata and Miu Hirano followed with wins in the next two matches.
"She's been in good form. Things got tense during the match, but I knew she would come out the winner," Japan head coach Takehiro Watanabe said about Ito's match.
Japan will next face Hong Kong on Friday night after China and France meet in the other semifinal.
On the men's side, Sora Matsushima, Tomokazu Harimoto and Hiroto Shinozuka all lost by three games to one against China's Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin and Ma Long, respectively.
China is looking for its 11th consecutive men's world team title.