While the Brave Blossoms showed flashes of attacking intent, they rarely had enough ball to pose any real threat, as the Springbok forwards dominated the set pieces and collisions to lay down an unstoppable platform. And as has become customary for this Bok side, the introduction of their replacement forwards in the second half only dialled up the pressure even further.
Behind the rumbling pack, the ever-electric Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu brought as much razzle-dazzle as the conditions allowed, with his back-to-back first-half tries all but taking the game away from the Brave Blossoms, while the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe and Manie Libbok took over in the second stanza.
It wasn't all good news for Rassie Erasmus, however - talismanic front-rower Ox Nche was seen limping off the field in the first half, and fans will be hoping he still has a part to play this November.
But all in all, it was a statement victory for the Boks away from home and in less than ideal conditions, showing that they look more than ready to take on some of the more formidable challenges that still lie in wait.
Match Report
The Boks made the perfect start to the match under the testing conditions, winning an early penalty for a high tackle and immediately applying the pressure via a kick to the corner and a trademark lineout drive. Their first surge brought only a penalty, but the second was unstoppable as their rolling maul powered over the line before Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu nailed a tough conversion from out wide.
Japan were struggling to maintain possession under some relentless Bok pressure, and the Boks' second try soon followed. This one was all Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who launched a perfectly judged up-and-under, pressured the Japanese fullback into spilling the ball, and then pounced to gather and race over for the score.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was also at the heart of the Boks' next try, and this one was even better. Looking up and spotting a gap in the Japanese defence, he pinned his ears back and powered through would-be tacklers for a superb solo score.
Japan finally showed signs of life when they almost caught the Boks napping with a clever move behind a lineout maul, but a crucial interception from Feinberg-Mngomezulu denied what looked like a certain try.
But it wasn't long before the Boks were back deep in Japanese territory, and this time the hosts paid a heavy price - conceding a penalty try for collapsing what looked like an unstoppable maul and losing prop Shuhei Takeuchi to the bin.
Japan had one final chance to attack in the half but a steal from Jasper Wiese put pay to that idea as it finished 26-0 to the Boks at the break.
The Brave Blossoms made a lively start to the second half but their early gains were sadly undone when a TMO check confirmed a high shot on Siya Kolisi, leading to a yellow card for No 6 Ben Gunter.
The Boks' fifth try soon followed and it was a beauty - Feinberg-Mngomezulu providing the initial spark before offloading to Kwagga Smith, who handed it off to Wilco Louw. The prop juggled the ball and crashed over for his first try in a Bok jersey.
Japan showed they weren't completely out of steam, hitting back with a high-tempo try. A clever quick tap from Yoshitaka Yazaki caught the Bok defence napping, allowing the fullback to race over for a great score.
Andre Esterhuizen - on the field as a replacement forward - then had a try chalked off following a TMO check, but normal service soon resumed when Japan failed to deal with a Manie Libbok high ball, allowing Kurt-Lee Arendse to pick up the scraps and run in unopposed.
The floodgates were opening and Esterhuizen soon claimed the try that was denied him earlier, the makeshift back-rower coming around the corner and powering through the Japanese defence for a thunderous score.
The Boks' next try was a Cheslin Kolbe special, the fullback capitalising on a kick into no man's land to burst through the defence before kicking ahead for Arendse, who slid in for his second of the night to bring up the South Africans' half-century.
There was time for one more try from the men in green and gold, the cherry on top coming from Jesse Kriel after good work from Libbok and Arendse in the build-up as the Springboks opened their November tour with a serious statement of intent.
Former All Blacks flyhalf Stephen Donald says Cheslin Kolbe has the potential to be the Springboks' equivalent of Christian Cullen after being handed the No. 15 jersey for Saturday's clash against Japan.
Springbok talisman Siya Kolisi is under no illusion as to the challenge that awaits them when they take the field against Japan on Saturday.
Rassie Erasmus has made it clear that winning is the priority on the Boks' November tour, and not every squad member is guaranteed minutes.
There is a South African flavour to the Japan team that will do battle against the Springboks at Wembley this Saturday.
