Mixed doubles pair Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara are Japan's heroes after delivering the winning point to beat South Korea 3-2 in the Sudirman Cup semi-finals.

Kazuno-Kurihara, playing in their first ever tournament together, rose to the occasion to beat world No. 8 Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na 21-14, 21-15 in the deciding tie at the Dongfeng Nissan Sports Centre.

South Korea had taken the early lead after men's world No. 1 pair Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong outclassed Hirokatu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata 21-18, 21-16.

Pint-sized women's singles shuttler Nozomi Okuhara however levelled the tie for Japan with an incredibly hard fought 11-21, 21-17, 21-14 win over world No. 7 Sung Ji-hyun.

South Korea, however, surged ahead again with Son Wan-ho winning the men's singles tie, beating Takuma Ueda 21-9, 22-20.

But Japan clawed back in the picture as women's world No.1 pair Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi played their best to beat Chang Ye-na-Jung Kyung-eun 21-17, 21-8.

That set the stage for Kazuno-Kurihara to beat Sung-hyun-Ha-na and send Japan into their first ever Sudirman Cup final appearance.

They will meet nine-time champions China, who defeated Indonesia 3-1, for the title.