World No. 10 Japan suffered a 35-17 defeat to second-ranked France in a rugby test match Sunday in Toulouse.
The Brave Blossoms ended their two-match European tour without a win, having been trounced 52-13 by England on Nov. 12 at Twickenham Stadium.
France, this year's Six Nations champions and next year's Rugby World Cup hosts, overwhelmed Japan with a performance of intensity and speed en route to their 13th consecutive test match victory.
Damian Penaud scored two of France's four tries as Les Bleus jumped into an early 11-0 lead and never looked back. The first half ended with France leading 21-3.
Japan fought back in the second half, cutting the gap to 11 points at one stage through tries by Naoto Saito and Siosaia Fifita.
But Anthony Jelonch's 73rd-minute try with Thomas Ramos converting put the match beyond Japan's reach.
"It was a tough away match, and the weather wasn't good, either," Japan wing Fifita said. "We couldn't play our rugby in the first half, but we had many positives in the second half. We want to get stronger and play France again."
Japan's head-to-head record against France worsened to 0-12 with one draw.
Head coach Jamie Joseph's squad will play two matches in Toulouse at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
"It's a wonderful experience to play at this World Cup stadium before the tournament," Japan prop Keita Inagaki said.
"I'll remember this atmosphere and this bitter feeling of defeat. I'll take these into the World Cup. Without producing results, we won't get support from the fans. We'll stay focused on producing results."
Related coverage:
Rugby: England steamroll Japan in World Cup preview at Twickenham
Rugby: Emboldened Brave Blossoms take their fight to Europe
Rugby: Japan fall short, lose thriller to New Zealand
