A thoroughly professional performance from Hope Powell's side saw them come through a stern test from the Japanese, and it was two brilliantly taken goals from Ellen White and Rachel Yankey that saw them take the three points.
England started the game at an incredibly high tempo with the obvious intention of not giving Japan any time on the ball in midfield and snuffing out the creative abilities of Japanese playmakers Homare Sawa and Aya Miyama.
The tactic worked well as Japan looked unsettled, and England then broke the deadlock after just fifteen minutes through White.
Karen Carney got on the ball inside her own half and picked out the run of White with a stunning forty-yard ball over the top of the defence which fell right in to the striker's path.
Despite the pass being incredible, the highlight of the move was yet to come as White saw Ayumi Kaihori off her line and proceeded to produce a superb first time lobbed volley that floated over the keeper and in to the net for a great goal.
Japan looked rattled as England continued to press hard, before they finally began to come back in to the game as the half went on, although without really troubling Karen Bardsley in the England net.
It was White who came closest to a second goal in the opening half as she attempted an overhead kick from a Jess Clarke cross which was only kept out by a fabulous save from Kaihori.
Japan came within a whisker of equalising right at the start of the second-half when the ever-reliable Miyama drove in a free-kick from the right wing which evaded the head of Alex Scott and very nearly fell to Yuki Nagasato, but the Japanese striker's lunge could only divert the ball wide for a goal-kick.
England were being pressed and were struggling to get hold of the ball, but Japan's hopes were dashed in the 65th minute when they conceded a second.
Carney broke through the middle of midfield and spread the ball to White on the left who in-turn laid it back to the advancing Rachel Unitt.
The left-back swung in a cross towards the substitute Yankey who pushed the ball away from her with her first touch and then lobbed the advancing Kaihori with her second to make it 2-0.
Both sides knew it was over at this point and although Japan huffed and puffed they never really threatened Bardsley throughout, as the English keeper dominated her penalty area with some fabulous catches from corners.
England saw the game out very professionally and qualified as winners of Group B ahead of Japan in second.
In the group's other match, New Zealand scored two goals in stoppage time to earn an unlikely 2-2 draw with Mexico in Sinsheim.
