Iran had lost to defending champion South Korea 13-0 on Wednesday in its opening match in Group B.
Iran is scheduled to meet Thailand on Sunday.
“Today my players did a lot better than the last match and did well in this game for long periods,” said Iran coach Mahnaz Amirshaghaghi.
“The players are very young and need more and more competition at a high level like this. Playing against such big teams in the world of women’s football like Japan, China, DPR Korea and Australia is a very good experience for them,” she added.
The tournament is being held in China from August 18 to 29. A total of eight teams are participating in the tournament.
The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.