The 20-year-old led home a Japanese one-two, clinching top spot in front of team-mate Yuki Ito with a score of 271.3 points.

Her total came thanks to recording the furthest jump in each of the two rounds as she began with 95 metres before leaping 99.5m.

"It is the start of a new season and I was able to perform very good jumps and to achieve a great result," Takanashi, whose win in the 1994 Winter Olympic host city was her 45th on the World Cup circuit, said.

"I am very happy about that.

"The level of ladies' ski jumping is getting higher and higher so I also have to get better.

"We still have great events coming up this season like the World Championships and I need to stay focused."

Ito, a member of the Japanese team which claimed gold in the mixed team event at the 2013 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, recorded efforts of 94.5m and 92.5m as she ended 19.9 points adrift of her formidable compatriot.

German champion Anna Ruprecht took home the bronze medal as she scored 243.8 points, achieved with two jumps of 90.5m.

There was no place on the podium for Austria’s Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, the Olympic silver medallist who secured the World Cup title in the 2014 to 2015 season.

The Austrian athlete finished sixth as efforts of 92.5m and 88.0m yielded a total of 239.5 points.

Olympic and world champion Carina Vogt of Germany also struggled, languishing down in 13th position on 221.1 points.

Vogt, who has often got the better of Takanashi at major events such as the Olympic Games and World Championships, jumped 87.5m and 89.5m.

A second women’s event in Lillehammer is due to take place tomorrow, while the men are also in action in Klingenthal in Germany.