Japan now land of the rising fun
England’s players are unlikely to be mobbed in Miyazaki at their training camp. Football and baseball figure much higher than rugby on the list of sporting priorities in Japan.
Sumo champions carry more weight in the public consciousness too. Rugby has its pockets of popularity but it needs a World Cup for take-off. A Japanese World Cup will be different from anything the sport has experienced before. For a start, it will be the most polite ever staged. Bowing is de rigeur in this neck of the woods, with different angles of inclination reflecting increasing levels of respect. Even train guards bow on exiting a carriage. Imagine that on Southern Rail after a ticket check. The stadia will be mainly earthquake-proof football stadia. Kumamato had its 400-year-old castle wrecked last year but unlike Christchurch in New Zealand, which lost its games for the 2011 tournament because of quake damage, the city’s 32,000-capacity stadium is good to go and will host at least three games. What’s on the menu? If the players are feeling adventurous they will be able to try raw horsemeat (nice) and deep-fried sea urchin (not so much) eating kaiseki style – think exotic tapas. If not, more familiar Japanese options, including melt-in-the-mouth Miyazaki beef, plus Western food are available. Tattoos taboo? Hot springs abound in Kyushu to ease battered bodies but many ban people with ink because of Mafia connotations. Fortunately for Jack Nowell, right, and Joe Marler the Japanese prime minister wants this relaxed for the duration of the tournament. Point to note – no clothes are worn in the springs. Don’t forget to take your boots off after training, lads. Outdoor shoes are seriously frowned upon indoors.
And what of supporters thinking of making the 12-hour flight to the Far East? Packages go on sale in the new year that will have familiar hotel chains available but, with Airbnb now possible, there are many independent accommodation options – ranging from traditional inns with futons on the floor and campsites to the contrastingly hi-tech Hen-na Hotel in Nagasaki province staffed by multilingual robots, including a dinosaur who checks you in. Costs. The air fare isn’t cheap but once here, the cost of living will not bankrupt fans. A coffee comes in at about £2; a beer £3. There are some quirky options for the latter including Kara Kara, a bar in volcanic Kagoshima, crammed with children’s toys. Getting around. Easy and fast. Cars drive on the left; bullet trains live up to the name. The rice fields fly past as they reach speeds of up to 200mph and overseas visitors can buy Japan rail passes before they arrive for discounted travel. The language is not the barrier it is painted to be. English is taught at school as a second language in Japan and signs and announcements in urban areas are often in English as well as Japanese. It is not all neon. In fact, it is surprisingly green. Between games, catch a hydrofoil to UNESCOprotected Yakushima Island and hang out with the monkeys, deer and 1,000-year-old cypress trees. Pack your sun cream and your brolly. The tournament is scheduled for September and October and, after being a steamy 34 degrees in Kyushu on Monday, it was hurling down with rain yesterday. Japan 2019 will be a very different World Cup to England 2015 but it promises to be a wonderfully
exotic ride. ❑ HARLEQUINS fly-half Demetri Catrakilis remains in hospital after suffering a broken bone in his throat during Saturday’s win over Gloucester, but will not require surgery.
South African-born Catrakilis stopped breathing for several seconds during his side’s 28-17 Aviva Premiership victory.
The summer arrival from Montpellier suffered the freak injury when he was hit by a shoulder near his throat minutes after he had kicked the first penalty of the contest.