Yasuhiro Higuchi’s men had been sat just behind Sanfrecce Hiroshima on goal difference after their weekend defeat to Kashima Antlers, but their impressive win over Urawa has now given them breathing space.
The result, Urawa's first loss in three games, came after Marquinhos netted his 16th goal of the season and 35-year-old Shunsuke Nakamura fired home a brace.
Mihailo Petrovic’s team now sit four points off the league leaders and one shy of Sanfrecce, who fell to a shock 2-0 defeat at Ventforet Kofu.
Kofu's second win in a row moved them further away from the relegation zone, with the league's bottom two, Oita Trinita and Jubilo Iwata, also losing out to Nagoya Grampus and Albirex Niigata respectively.
Rock-bottom Oita were edged out 2-1 after going ahead through Riki Matsuda, while Jubilo let a two-goal advantage slip as Kengo Kawamata's double, as well as efforts from Yuta Mikado and Roger Gaucho secured a 4-2 win for Albirex.
Omiya Ardija's rotten form continued as they lost their eighth game in a row, 2-1 to Kawasaki Frontale.
Tsutomu Ogura's outfit had looked like title challengers earlier in the campaign, but their terrible run has seen them slip out of contention for an AFC Champions League spot.
Kashiwa Reysol, on the other hand, are the league's form team, having gone unbeaten in their last nine outings.
Shimizu earned their 4-3 win over Kashima Antlers with a late effort from Toshiyuki Takagi, which marked his hat-trick, while Sagan Tosu’s 3-2 win over Tokyo came courtesy of a 85th-minute goal from Yohei Toyoda.
