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Wales crumbled in the sweltering Kitakyushu conditions to fall 24-19 to Japan, extending their winless streak to 18 consecutive Test matches.

First-half scores from Ben Thomas and Tom Rogers, alongside a penalty try and Sam Costelow conversion, handed Wales a 19-7 half-time advantage and renewed hope of their first triumph since defeating Georgia at the 2023 World Cup 21 months ago.

However, Japan controlled the second period with tries from Takuro Matsunaga, Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea, plus nine points from Seungsin Lee's boot, inflicting further anguish on Wales.

Brave Blossoms chief Eddie Jones revealed he had wished for scorching weather to "run Wales off their feet" and the brutal conditions - with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius alongside stifling humidity - necessitated water breaks in both halves and a prolonged interval.

A greasy ball caused numerous handling mistakes and there was frequently little flow to a fragmented encounter that stretched beyond two hours.

Taulupe Faletau, Nicky Smith, Ben Thomas and Blair Murray remained from the 68-14 mauling by England in the Six Nations as interim boss Matt Sherratt implemented 11 alterations.

Number eight Faletau - Wales' fifth-most capped player - earned his 109th cap but it was predominantly a green line-up with six starters possessing fewer than 10 caps.

Wales' decline had seen them slip to 12th in World Rugby's rankings, just one position ahead of Japan, making this very much an encounter between two sides in flux. The match got off to a concerning start as Ben Carter suffered a head injury within the first 30 seconds.

After attempting a tackle, Carter collapsed and was stretchered off following a lengthy delay.

Despite this setback, Wales quickly bounced back with Faletau exploiting a gap from a line-out, setting up Thomas for a try with a well-timed pass, which Costelow converted.

Japan struggled initially but managed to score their first attack after 16 minutes when winger Kippei Ishida broke through midfield to assist Matsunaga, with Lee's kick levelling the scores.

Wales regained the lead with a penalty try after Nakakusu, who had just replaced the injured Matsunaga, deliberately knocked the ball away as Josh Adams approached Kieran Hardy's chip near the try line.

Nakakusu received a yellow card for his actions, and Wales capitalised on their numerical advantage after Japan found touch from the kick-off.

Faletau broke free from a retreating scrum, and Hardy, Costelow and Johnny Williams swiftly moved the ball, allowing Rogers to dart into the corner.

The second half saw a shift in momentum as Amato Fakatava's effort was disallowed due to a Shinobu Fujiwara knock-on, but Japan persevered.

Rogers missed a tackle, allowing Nakakusu to dive over for a try, with Lee adding the conversion and subsequently narrowing the deficit to two points with a penalty.

Japan took the lead for the first time as substitute Vailea powered through and Lee's try ignited celebrations that lasted until the final whistle.

The two-match series will wrap up in Kobe next Saturday.