IN PHOTOS: Japan's defining moments at Milan Cortina

Figure skating pair Ryuichi Kihara and Riku Miura captured the hearts of a nation as the Japanese team delivered its most successful Winter Olympics at the Milan Cortina Games.

This photo collection looks back at Japan's key moments from the games -- the performances, breakthroughs and emotional highlights of the country's campaign in Italy.

Tears of frustration turned to tears of joy at the Milano Ice Skating Arena when Kihara and Miura staged a dramatic comeback in the free skate to secure one of Japan's five gold medals, matching the total the country won on home soil at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games.