Widely known as a gourmet paradise, Fukuoka boasts a wide variety of local specialities. A Fukuoka speciality in a different area is rugby, with the city being the centre of the sport for Japan’s southernmost main island, Kyushu. Rugby in Kyushu got its start when a group of alumni from Keio University in Tokyo working…

The Misaki Park Stadium is a mid-sized multi-purpose sports arena located in Kobe. Featuring a fully retractable roof, the stadium was built for the 2002 Fifa World Cup and is the current home of football side Vissel Kobe and the Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers rugby team.

Higashi Osaka is renowned for is rugby and in 1929 Hanazono became the first stadium in Japan to be built especially for rugby. The venue and the many historic matches played there have led to Higashi Osaka being called ‘Rugby City’ and Hanazono is the home of the Kintetsu Liners rugby team.

Located in Fukuroi City, the stadium is the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa. Now the primary venue for major sporting events in Shizuoka, the stadium opened in 2001 and hosted matches during the 2002 Fifa World Cup, including Cameroon v Germany and Belgium v Russia in the group…

Not surprisingly, Toyota is called the “City of Automobiles” stemming from one of the world’s top car manufacturers having its headquarters there. Located at the geographic centre of Japan, Aichi prefecture and Toyota can also lay claim to being the centre of Japanese rugby. The club team affiliated with the carmaker has won a number…

Inaugurated in March 1998 the International Stadium Yokohama has the highest seating capacity of any stadium in Japan. It hosted the final of 2002 Fifa World Cup in which Brazil beat Germany 2-0, as well as three first-round games, and is the home stadium of the Yokohama F Marinos football team. The stadium will host…

Opened in 2001, the Tokyo Stadium is a multi-purpose venue in the nation’s capital. It has a capacity of nearly 50,000 and is the home ground of local football teams Tokyo FC and Tokyo Verdy. It was not originally part of the bid but was included when the National Stadium plans were delayed because of…

Opened in 1991, the stadium is being redeveloped to meet the 2019 Rugby World Cup standards. It will also be home to the sevens for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Including patches of grass behind one end, the capacity currently stands at 24,000 (9,232 seats) but it will be converted into an all-seater venue for…

Kamaishi has long been known for steelmaking, being the site of Japan’s oldest steelworks. This also is the city’s connection to rugby, as the factory-sponsored team grew to become one of the top amateur teams in Japan. Although Kamaishi was devastated by an earthquake in March 2011, the city has made great strides in its…

Located in Sapporo City, one of the host venues for the 1972 Winter Olympics and one of the venues for the 2002 Fifa World Cup. The Sapporo Dome opened in 2001 and hosted three first-round games during the 2002 World Cup, Germany v Saudi Arabia, Argentina v England and Italy v Ecuador. Primarily used for…