Japan – Everything Rugby

1. Robot Restaurant, Tokyo Red Light District

With great reviews and amazing reactions, what is not to like about Robot Restaurant? The restaurant hosts a 90 minute show that takes the viewer to another universe. A blend of Japanese culture, robots, dinosaurs, cabaret and lasers. Get prepared to have your mind blown away. Tickets can be bought online. You not only get to see what this amazing show has to offer but you get dinner as well. The restaurant is located in the Shinjuku’s Kabukicho District of Tokyo (otherwise known as the red light district), however do not let that idea scare you away as it is female friendly and one of the most vibrant areas of Tokyo.

Video review of Robot Restaurant in Tokyo Japan
Video by beetdownboogie

2. Izakaya Toyo, Osaka

Izakaya Toyo is located in Osaka, a city known as the Kitchen of Japan. This famous street food restaurant was started by the legendary street food chef Toyo who moved to Osaka when he was 15 to better his life. He started off as a dishwasher at his aunts bar and after two years began cooking and learning his craft. He then started saving to start up his own Izakaya (informal Japanese pub) and what started out running off the back of his truck is now a world famous establishment that has been running for 26 years. Izakaya Toyo did so well that it got a full Episode on the Netflix series Street Food. Toyo has become famous for cooking tuna cheek with a blow torch and his bare hands. He also has a killer sense of humor and is loved by the locals. If you are looking for a proper authentic fun Japanese experience, which can be compared to going to an Irish pub then look no further than Izakaya Toyo. Be warned you may have to wait a while because of popularity, but it is definitely worth it and the tripadviser reviews don’t lie.

Osaka’s Flamethrower Street Food Chef ★ ONLY in JAPAN
Video by ONLY in JAPAN

3. Ninja Akasaka, Tokyo

Ninja Akasaka has used a Japanese icon and used it to conceive a dining experience like no other. The restaurant is hidden away in the high-class Akasaka region of Tokyo. Ninja is more than just a meal. This is a thrilling journey through ancient Japan. At the front door ninjas guide guests through a series of secret passage ways on an adventure to their table. Diners are able to dine in a private room, which resembles the traditional Japanese dining culture. The experience is authentic up to the level that patrons have to sit on the floor. All staff are dressed traditionally as Ninjas and the menu is presented on a scroll taking patrons back in time. At first this sounds very odd, but according to the reviews it is one of the most mind blowing dinning experiences in the world. The ninja restaurant aims to transport guests to another dimension. If you really want to get the full experience it is recommended that you go for the set menu. Some of the dishes are also filled with theater, using fire to entertain guests. This is definitely more fine dining, but it seems as though it is worth every penny.

Video review of NInja Akasaka
Video by Sarah x0x0

These three restaurants are each unique and all offer something completely different. If you are planning on heading to Japan for the Rugby World Cup you should definitely make an effort to try and experience one of these unique restaurants. If you are looking for futuristic entertainment, then I would highly recommend heading to the mind blowing Robot Restaurant. Trying to get a taste for Japanese culture and walk the streets then Izakaya Toyo is probably the place for you. If you are looking for a traditional Japanese dining experience, then Ninja Akaksaka has it all. I have tried to tailor this post to have a choice for everyone. However, if you feel that somewhere else should have been included please leave it in the comments and let me know. I hope that this post helps add another dimension to your trip to Japan.

The rugby world knows little about Japanese rugby and how popular the sport is in the land of the rising sun. When you think about rugby, Japan doesn’t necessarily come to mind. However, contrary to this bias, the host nation of this year’s 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC) has a rich rugby history. This years RWC is being played in Asia for the first time, which is very exciting for world rugby. In this post I explore the origins of rugby in Japan as well as the rugby structures present in the country.

Host Country/Continent	Year
New Zealand & Australia	1987
Europe	1991
South Africa	1995
Wales	1999
Australia	2003
France	2007
New Zealand	2011
England	2015
Japan	2019
France	2023

Figure 1: showing host nations and years of rugby world cups.

Created by Joshua Parsons.

The history of rugby in Japan

Rugby was first played in Japan in 1866, when the first Rugby Club in Japan was founded called the Yokohama Foot Ball Club. Rugby was played in Japan before big rugby playing nations such as France, New Zealand and South Africa. The only other places with a longer history are Australia and The British Isles. The Yokohama Foot Ball Club was the first ever Asian rugby club. The establishment of Yokohama Foot Ball Club came about due to over a thousand British troops who were stationed in the area. Many had played Rugby at school in England. The large number of troops made it easy to play as back in those days 40 players were needed to play a game. This was the foundation of rugby in Japan and is also the untold history of how the game started in the land of the rising son.

Scene of a rugby game in Japan.
Source: Harper’s 1874, Illustrator unknown

The father of Japanese rugby

The Japanese began playing rugby at Keio University in 1899. Ginnosuke Tanaka and Edward Bramwell Clarke introduced the great game to the men of classes they taught at the University. The University played their first official game in 1901 against expatriates of the Yokohama County Athletics team. The team established fixtures against other clubs and soon the sport grew in Universities. This lead to the first inter-university game being played between Doshisha and Waseda Universities in 1923. The early 1920’s saw rugby grow rapidly in Japan, having over 60 000 players and 1 500 clubs. Tanaka is now remembered as ‘the father of Japanese rugby’. The birth of rugby in the land of the rising son led to the first ever Japanese tour in 1930. The national team traveled to Canada and had great success winning 6 games and losing 1. The ‘Brave Blossoms’ have participated in every RWC since its inception in 1987.

A picture of Ginnosuke Tanaka
Source: Wikimedia Commons

How popular is rugby in Japan today?

Japan is the fourth biggest rugby playing nation in the world with a population of 122 872 rugby players as well as having 3 631 official clubs. The national side nicknamed The Cherry Blossoms or The Brave Blossoms are ranked 11th in world rugby. Although rugby is only the 5th most popular sport in Japan they have a competitive domestic league called Top League. Top League draws players from many strong rugby nations. There are well known players such as Daniel Carter and Matt Giteau who have had stints playing in Japan.

Vlog by The Imbiber published on YouTube

University rugby in Japan

Rugby is popular at Universities around Japan, which participate in The All-Japan University Rugby Football Championship. The championship kicked off in 1964 and currently there are currently 16 universities competing. The most successful University in the competition is Waseda University who have won 15 Championships. The final is usually well attended having close 40 000 spectators as of 2005. The University rugby culture in Japan is very competitive. University teams often play against professional teams, however there is a gulf in class between the two levels.

Video published by World Rugby on YouTube

Why will the RWC be special?

Japan is an exciting new frontier for world rugby fans as all the world cups to date have been hosted by top tier nations of rugby. This new frontier could open a new dimension and will help grow the game in Asia. The expansion of rugby into this new realm, which most orthodox rugby supporters know very little about is one of general excitement. A ticket to Japan will be a prized possession come 20 September 2019.

Tag: Japan

Three famous food spots in Japan