Japanese women's soccer team won their first gold medal at the Asian Games on Monday after beating DPR Korea 1-0 at Tianhe Stadium.

?Azusa Iwashimizu (C) of Japan scores against North Korea during the women's soccer final at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, November 22, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

The only goal of the match was scored by Japan's center-back Azusa Iwashimizu with a header from a corner in the 74th minute.

Japan remained disciplined and were able to contain DPR Korea for the final quarter of an hour, in the process of preventing them from grabbing their third consecutive Asiad gold.

Both sides were locked 0-0 in the final at the Doha Asiad 2006, before DPR Korea won 4-2 on penalties.

But in Guangzhou, Japan rewrote the history with their first ever gold medal since women's soccer has been included in the Asian Games in 1990.

In an earlier bronze medal match, China lost to South Korea 2-0.