****Image Credit: BWF
Led by reigning world No 1 and world champion Kento Momota, Japan were big winners at the USD150,000 HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 Yonex German Open which ended in Muelheim, Germany on Sunday.
The host of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics the Japanese won three titles – the men's and women's singles and the men's doubles for a memorable outing in Muelheim.
Their dominance could see the Japanese as a strong force in the prestigious All-England Championships which begin Birmingham on Wednesday.
The All-England Championships in Birmingham carry hefty prize money of US1 million.
Momota, the top seed, won his first title this year as he outplayed compatriot and third seed, Kenta Nishimoto in straight games 21-10, 21-16 to make up for his disappointments in the Malaysia Masters and the Indonesia Masters earlier.
The Japanese ace was a first-round casualty in Kuala Lumpur and suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Denmark's Anders Antonsen in the final in Jakarta.
Hiroyuki Endo-Yuta Watanabe started the ball rolling for Japan when the second seeds upstaged tops seeds Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda in the all-Japan men's doubles final with a 15-21m 21-11, 21-12 win in 54 minutes.
This was followed by Akane Yamaguchi when the second seed came back from a game down to beat Thailand's former World No 1 Ratchanok Intanon 16-21, 21-14, 25-23 in a marathon 70-minute encounter.
China and South Korea won a title each through Du Yue-Li Yunhui and Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yujung – winning the women's doubles and the mixed doubles final respectively.
The eighth-seeded Chinese pair upset the form book to beat Japan's Olympic champions and No 2 seeds Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi 22-2, 21-15 in 51 minutes.
The mixed doubles final was also a straight game affair with Seung-jae-Yujung completing their task with a 21-17, 21-11 victory over Indonesia's Hafiz Faizal-Gloria Emmanuelle Widjaja in 36 minutes.
RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
Men's singles
Kento Momota (JPN) beat Kenta Nishimoto (JPN) 21-10, 21-16
Women's singles
Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) beat Ratchanok Intanon (THA) 16-21, 21-14, 25-23.
Men's doubles
Hiroyuki Endo-Yuta Watanabe (JPN) beat Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (JPN) 15-21, 21-11, 21-12
Women's doubles
Du Yue-Li Yinhui (CHN) beat Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (JPN) 22-20, 21-15
Mixed doubles
Seo Seung-jae-Chae yujung (KOR) beat Hafiz Faizal-Gloria Emmanuelle Widjaja (INA) 21-17, 21-11