The occasion was made even more special as Isaac Houlbrooke celebrated his 50th international cap for New Zealand.
Japan made the brighter start, scoring inside the opening four minutes, but the Black Sticks fought hard to respond and found the equaliser just before halftime, Sam Lane finishing off a brilliant attacking move after being set up by Dylan Thomas.
The second half was a tense battle with both sides creating chances but struggling to break the deadlock.
With the match still locked at 1-1 and less than five minutes remaining, New Zealand found another gear.
Jonty Elmes put the Black Sticks ahead with a superb field goal before James Hickson sealed the result moments later with another classy finish, securing a 3-1 victory and the bronze medal.
While the team will be disappointed not to have reached a third consecutive Nations Cup final, there is still plenty to celebrate.
The Black Sticks leave Cape Town with silverware, valuable experience against World Cup opposition and confidence heading into the next phase of their 2026 World Cup preparations.
Throughout the tournament, the team showed resilience and attacking flair.
In Auckland, the New Zealand women lost their Nations Cup final 2-0 to India in front of a packed North Harbour Stadium.
They had earlier qualified for the final with a dramatic shootout win over the United States.
Black Sticks captain Olivia Shannon celebrated her 100th international cap.
The first half was a fierce contest with both teams creating chances but neither able to break the deadlock as the game remained 0-0 at halftime.
USA struck first in the third quarter through a penalty corner, but the Black Sticks responded almost immediately.
Hannah Cotter finished a beautifully worked penalty corner variation to level the scores at 1-1 and set up a tense final quarter.
Both teams pushed hard for a winner, but the defining moment came when the Americans earned a penalty stroke.
With the home crowd holding their breath, FIH goalkeeper of the year Grace O’Hanlon produced a massive save to deny the Americans and keep the scores level.
The match headed to a shootout, where the Black Sticks were clinical.
New Zealand converted all four of their attempts, while O’Hanlon delivered another masterclass, making three saves to secure a 4-1 shootout victory and send the home crowd into celebration mode.
• Riana Pho was recognised as the young player of the tournament, while Grace O’Hanlon was named goalkeeper of the tournament after another exceptional week between the posts. — Allied Media
