NARITA, Japan — Japan's World Baseball Classic championship team was greeted by thousands of cheering fans Wednesday when it arrived at the airport.

Japan defended its 2006 WBC title with a 5-3 win over South Korea in Monday's final at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

"The team's greatest appeal was its strong attitude and tenacity," Japan manager Tatsunori Hara said at a news conference. "I'm very proud to have been the manager of this team."

Thousands of fans waved Japanese flags and held up signs that read "Samurai Japan" as the team made its way through the arrival area at Narita.

Major league stars such as Ichiro Suzuki, who secured the win Monday with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, have returned to their respective teams' spring training camps in the United States.

Pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, who allowed just four hits and two runs in the final, said he was proud to finally represent Japan after being passed over for the Beijing Olympic team.

"I thought deeply about what it meant to represent Japan," Iwakuma said. "It was a great honor and I was happy to be able to contribute to the win."

Shuichi Murata, who had to leave the team before the final because of an injured hamstring, received his gold medal from Hara.

"Watching this team, I was reminded how tough it is to compete and win," said Sadaharu Oh, who was the manager when Japan won the first WBC. "The players and managers did a fantastic job and everyone in Japan is proud of them."

The 1,092-foot Tokyo Tower in the heart of the capital was lit up to resemble Japan's national flag with white lights at the top and bottom and red in the middle.