Home runs from Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto helped put Japan ahead before Los Angeles Angels superstar Ohtani closed out the win from the mound in the ninth inning.

In a perfectly scripted finale at Miami's LoanDepot Park, Ohtani struck out Angels teammate and US captain Mike Trout to clinch Japan's third WBC victory following triumphs in 2006 and 2009.

Two-way threat Ohtani, the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player who has earned comparisons to Babe Ruth since arriving in Major League Baseball, said the win was the highlight of his career.

"It's definitely number one," Ohtani told FOX television through a translator. "It's got to be up there. It was a storybook ending."

"More than anything, I appreciate this tournament, this whole situation, this whole atmosphere," added Ohtani, who was named tournament MVP.

Ohtani had fired up Japan with a rousing pre-game speech in which he urged his teammates to "stop admiring" an American lineup regarded as the strongest US baseball team ever assembled.

"Obviously, the US lineup, one through nine, they're all household names, superstars," Ohtani said afterward.

"All the Japanese guys know them. So I didn't want us to be passive. Show respect -- but stay aggressive, stay confident.