Category Archives: Japan
England Students to Japan, 1982
In 1982 an England Students side travelled to Japan to play a match against Japan at the Hanazono Stadium in Osaka… Continue reading
SPECIAL EXHIBITION – Brave Blossoms: the History of Rugby in Japan
As the rugby world turns towards the land of the rising sun in anticipation of Asia’s first Rugby World Cup, the World Rugby Museum is delighted to present its new special exhibition ‘Brave Blossoms: the History of Rugby in Japan’. Continue reading
Eyes Wide Open: The Demi Sakata Story
In 1968 Japan shocked the rugby world by defeating the Junior All-Blacks in Wellington. Japanese Wing Yoshihiro ‘Demi’ Sakata scored four of Japan’s six tries that day and would go on to demonstrate that the performance was no fluke. This … Continue reading
Tanaka and Clarke: The friends that took rugby from Cambridge to Japan
Rugby football arrived in Japan relatively early by worldwide standards, but it was not until the turn of the twentieth century that the sport would be played by Japanese nationals. Continue reading
Remembering Seiji Hirao, 1963-2016
On Friday February 10th in the lavish setting of the Portopia Hotel in Kobe, the Japan Rugby Football Union together with the Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers Rugby Club staged a remarkable memorial event to celebrate the life of Seiji Hirao, … Continue reading
Special Exhibition celebrates 150 years of rugby in Yokohama
A new installation has opened in the World Rugby Museum highlighting the development of rugby in Yokohama and the history of rugby at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club, now recognised to be the first football club in Asia. By … Continue reading
