Japan are ready to summon their inner samurai as they enter the "death zone" when taking on Argentina in what is a winner-takes-all match to qualify as World Cup Pool D runners-up.
England are confirmed as pool winners, meaning a straight shoot-off in Nantes on Sunday between Japan and Los Pumas for second place and a spot in the quarter-finals, both teams having lost to the English.
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"We are in the tournament, so whether it's by a point, a win is a win. We’ve been building the team towards this," said team director Yuichiro Fuji.
"This is going to be one of the biggest games since Jamie's (Joseph) been coaching the team. If we lose, it's the end of us, so that means we're going into the death zone.
"The players have also been saying how this is going to be a do-or-die battle, so I'm sure everyone’s ready. The team's also in its best shape, so if we can get all the players to perform at their best, Argentina are not a team we cannot beat."
Fuji said players had been embracing the way of the warrior in discussing game plans at team presentations in the place of coaches.
"It was (Keita) Inagaki this week, and he talked about how it’s going to be the 'Samurai Time', where once we pull the sword out, it's going to be do or die, and how we have to drop our katana (sword) on them to defeat them," Fuji said.
"Those words about mentality are more important than the game plans at this point."
Veteran Pumas hooker Agustin Creevy describes it as "another final" as they prepare for the must-win game.
"We are well, knowing the importance that this match has for us," said Creevy.
"It is a round-of-16 decider. Another final that we have to overcome...We are confident and convinced of what we have in front of us on Sunday."
Creevy, in his fourth World Cup at the age of 38, added: "We are training very well, trusting in what we have been doing for a long time. We have to continue highlighting things and improving others.
"Personally, I am taking it very calmly, enjoying it game by game, and this week enjoying day by day. I think that if we do things well, the team will respond.
"If we want to be in the final, semi-final or quarter-final, we have to get through this match first so it's really important for us.
"We have to stay connected and believe in ourselves. Obviously, it is an important game, but not the most important in our history."
