Sanfrecce Hiroshima held last years's treble winners Gamba Osaka 1-1 at home Saturday to capture their third J-League title.

Hiroshima's 4-3 aggregate triumph in the two-legged final brought the championship back to the western Japanese city for the first time since they won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.

Substitute Takuma Asano headed a 77th-minute equaliser to cancel out Yasuyuki Konno's first-half opener for Gamba, who started well after suffering a 3-2 home defeat at Expo stadium earlier this week.

"The players have shown great unity and all made sacrifices for the good of the team," Hiroshima manager Hajime Moriyasu told reporters after another dogged performance from his side.

"We were expecting a very tough season and the players have shown real grit and determination."

Hiroshima's victory in front of a bumper crowd of 36,000 on a chilly evening also books their place in this month's lucrative Club World Cup in Japan, featuring European champions Barcelona and Libertadores Cup holders River Plate.