AP, Vancouver :
Fullback Kotaro Matsushima scored the clinching try for a 14-man Japan to give the visitors a 26-22 win over Canada in a rugby union test Saturday.
Hooker Aaron Carpenter scored the fourth Canadian try with a minute remaining, but strong defense by Japan helped secure the win.
Back rower Yoshida Hosada was sent off in the 54th minute, forcing the Japanese to play a man down for most of the second half.
Hooker Takeshi Kizu scored a first-half try for Japan, which led 13-12 at the break. Japanese flyhalf Yu Tamura kicked four penalties and two conversions for 16 points.
Taylor Paris, Ray Barkwill and Jamie Cudmore scored the other Canadian tries.
The match was the first for new Canada head coach Mark Anscombe, who got the job at the end of March after fellow New Zealeander Kieran Crowley left for a club in Italy.
Anscombe used a mix of youth and experience to the squad because of injuries and rugby sevens commitments as he begins to build towards qualifying for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
Canada is 8-15-2 all-time against Japan, with its last victory coming in 2005. The two draws between the countries came at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
