TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Taisei Miyashiro hit the 64th-minute winner as Vissel Kobe saw off neighbors Gamba Osaka 1-0 to secure their second Emperor's Cup on Saturday.

After winning their first major trophy at the tournament on New Year's Day in 2020 with European stars including Andres Iniesta, Kobe are on the verge of making it four as early as next weekend as the defending J-League champions also lead this season's table by three points with two games left.

Kansai rivals Gamba, without star attacker Takashi Usami, who watched the final from the stands at Tokyo's National Stadium after pulling his right hamstring Thursday, are without a trophy since winning the 2015 Emperor's Cup.

Gamba began the game with more promise after Dawhan's ninth-minute header was saved by Daiya Maekawa following a cross from Usami's deputy Kota Yamada, who sent a jumping volley from the edge of the box wide six minutes later.

Kobe grew into the game without testing the opposing goal in an evenly-matched first half, and took the lead after the break when Yuya Osako released Yoshinori Muto down the left and his low cross was only blocked into the path of Miyashiro for an easy tap-in.

"I kept running believing in my teammates and the ball dropped right in front of me. I'm grateful to everyone," said Miyashiro, who won the Emperor's Cup for the second straight year after helping lift it with Kawasaki Frontale last season.

Gamba attacker Juan Alano came on and made a sudden impact in the 76th minute when he drove into the box down the right and provided a perfect cross, but fellow Brazilian Dawhan's firm header went just inches wide of the near post.

"Everyone in the team played their part to keep us in the competition and it's a huge title won by the whole team," Osako said. "I just want Kobe to be a team that keeps winning titles."