Behind-the-scenes at Yokohama

It’s being tasked with hosting the biggest game in the rugby world, but there’s no denying Yokohama’s round-ball roots.

International Stadium, inset above, in Kanagawa Prefecture is among the cluster of legacy venues from Japan’s joint-hosting of the 2002 Fifa World Cup with Korea.

In 2002, Brazil triumphed over Germany by 2-0 in the World Cup final there, a victory secured after two goals from man-of-the-match Ronaldo.

Brazil’s winning locker room has been preserved, with playing strips from the winning team still hanging proudly in the cubicles.

Even the whiteboard with the scrawled tactics of Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari have not been erased.

With a capacity of around 72,000, International Stadium – which took three years to build – is the largest in Japan, contributing to what officials describe as its ‘‘vast dynamism’’.

Some critics have raised questions over whether this traditional football stadium can produce an environment befitting a Rugby World Cup final.

Currently, the hybrid turf surface sits inside an all-weather athletics track, making the on-field action some distance away from the fans.

Stadium facility manager Tsutomu Nakayama said it was a problem that was easily solved.

‘‘Because of this field and track, there is some space or distance between the seats and the field. However, we can cover the track using artificial or natural turf to create this closeness.’’