Two-time champions Japan have been handed a relatively straightforward path to the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup knockout round after avoiding some potentially tricky ties.
The draw for next year's tournament, to be hosted by Australia, took place in Sydney on Tuesday evening and, with the seeding purely based on FIFA world ranking, it meant that record nine-time and defending champions China were curiously among the second seeds.
As a result, one of the three top seeds -- Australia, Japan and North Korea -- would have to face China as early as the group stage.
Ultimately, it was not to be Japan -- the top-ranked nation in Asia and seventh in the world -- who found themselves in Group C alongside Vietnam (world No. 37), Chinese Taipei (world No. 42) and India (world No. 70).
Nadeshiko will also be pleased to have avoided neighbouring rivals South Korea, the fourth-ranked nation on the continent and 21st in the world.
Instead, it is now Group A which is looming as the 'group of death' given it boasts Australia, South Korea and Philippines -- who all featured at the last FIFA Women's World Cup -- as well as Iran.
Meanwhile, top spot in Group B looms as a two-way battle between China and three-time champions North Korea, who enjoyed a dominant period in the 2000s when they won three titles in four editions of the tournament.
The other two teams in Group B are Uzbekistan, returning to this stage for the first time since 2003, and debutants Bangladesh.
With just 12 teams competing at the Women's Asian Cup, the winners and runners-up of the three groups are all guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals, and will be joined by the two best-performing third-placed teams.
The four teams which then advance to the semifinals will automatically qualify for the next Women's World Cup in 2027.
The losing quarterfinalists will then take one another, with the victors also booking their Women's World Cup ticket, while the losing teams still stand a chance to do so in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Given they are consistently among the highest-ranked teams not just in Asia but the world, Japan will once again be one of the favourites to win the Women's Asian Cup and did win it in 2014 and 2018, before having to settle for a semifinal finish last time out after an agonising penalty shootout defeat at the hands of China.
With almost their entire first-team squad playing abroad, primarily in England's Women's Super League but some elsewhere in Europe also in the American National Women's Soccer League, Nadeshiko are arguably the most star-studded outfit in Asia rivalled only by Australia.
In voting for the most-recent Ballon d'Or Féminin, awarded to the best women's footballer of the year, Japan midfield lynchpin Yui Hasegawa -- who plays for Manchester City -- was the only player from an Asian Football Confederation member association to feature.
Next year's Women's Asian Cup will run from March 1 to 21 and will take place in across five stadiums in the three Australian cities of Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast.