The German secured his first pole since Spain in May when the red flags came out with 36 seconds remaining, leaving team mate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton no chance of going faster.

Hamilton, who has a 41-point lead over Rosberg with six races left including Sunday's, will start alongside on an all-Mercedes front row in a relief for the team after being eclipsed in Singapore last weekend.

The front row was a repeat of last year's at Suzuka, a race Hamilton won.

Finland's Valtteri Bottas qualified third for Williams with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, the winner inSingapore, lining up in fourth place. 

STARTING GRID

1. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:32.584
2. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:32.660
3. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 1:33.024
4. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 1:33.245
5. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1:33.337
6. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1:33.347
7. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull - Renault 1:33.497
8. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Mercedes 1:33.967
9. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes
10. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) RedBull - Renault
- - - - - - - - - -
11. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1:34.390
12. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - Renault 1:34.453
13. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Mercedes 1:34.497
14. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 1:34.785
15. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso - Renault
- - - - - - - - - -
16. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1:35.664
17. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - Ferrari 1:35.673
18. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - Ferrari 1:35.760
19. Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 1:38.783
20. Alexander Rossi (U.S.) Marussia - Ferrari 1:47.114