Both countries are contesting the four-team event after being relegated from the A-Pool in Buffalo in the United States last year.

Their respective bids to prove that they belong back at the top level began in positive fashion as Japan beat Slovakia 3-1 and the Czechs thrashed Great Britain 12-0.

Masaharu Kumagai scored twice for the Japanese to give his side a 2-0 lead against the Slovakians, the bronze medallists in the B-Pool in Ostersund in Sweden last year.

Marian Ligda pulled one back for the Europeans but Japanese skipper Satoru Sudo settled the contest for his side. 

In the second game, the Czechs were completely dominant, with forwards Michal Geier and Zdenek Krupicka scoring nine of the goals between them.

Five of those came courtesy of Geier, with Pavel Dolezal, team captain Zdenek Safranek and David Palat also registering.

The round-robin tournament will continue tomorrow with the Czech Republic playing Slovakia and Britain meeting Japan.

Action will conclude on December 3, with the top three countries progressing to the Qualification Tournament for the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympics.