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It’s been an unimaginable rise in fortunes for the Japanese males’s nationwide rugby workforce during the last decade or so with the top being on the World Cup they hosted 5 years in the past. Nonetheless, the previous few years have seen the Courageous Blossoms wrestle to progress and even preserve these spectacular heights of 2019. Given their current type they may do with some additional assist, and this shrine could supply the reply!
Shrines devoted to sport are nothing too new in Japan as a baseball one will be present in Saitama, a generic sport one lies in Koto-ku (Tokyo) and there may be additionally a rugby one in Kyoto. 7.5 kilometres immediately north of Kyoto station is the huge and spectacular Shimogama Shrine, and inside that precinct is a a lot smaller shrine devoted to the sport of egg-chasing!
It’s known as Sawata shrine and truly has a protracted historical past relationship again to the eighth century earlier than being moved to its current location in June 1470. It was established as a subsidiary shrine of Shimogamo Shrine in March 1877. Then in 1910 a rugby match came about in entrance of the shrine with a highschool workforce taking part in towards Keio College, and thus the historical past of Japanese rugby was born. It continues to develop to today.
Practically six a long time later and the location of that first kick was commemorated, and it has since turn into one thing of a sacred spot.
The wood ema plaques had been within the form of a rugby ball.
There are even signed jerseys in a glass show case from every of the Courageous Blossoms (mens) and Sakura 15 (womens) sides. There isn’t any means in hell this might occur again within the UK because the shirts could be stolen faster than you may think about!
Simply to the facet of the shrine is a small constructing possessing extra signed shirts in addition to different little souvenirs and fortunate charms.
While I used to be at this shrine again in August, there was an enormous second hand ebook truthful going down on the lengthy gravel-path main in the direction of Shimogama Shrine. The rugby shrine was smaller than I used to be anticipating so it was truly somewhat troublesome to find particularly as Google Maps took me to the rear of it the place it’s not doable to enter.
Bonus: Again in 2019 when Japan spectacularly hosted the Rugby World Cup, there was a brief rugby shrine in Tokyo with a torii gate designed to seem like the purpose posts.
This was truly my first time to come across the aforementioned rugby ball-shaped ema plaques.
Additional Bonus: By way of on-the-field motion, I’ve solely been to 1 worldwide rugby match since seeing Japan play England at Japan Nationwide Stadium in Tokyo in June. A really quick stroll down the highway from there may be the Chichibunomiya Rugby Floor which hosted each semi-finals of the 2024 Pacific Nations Event. I used to be unable to see Japan in motion within the second semi however I used to be free to observe the primary one which gave me the prospect to see eventual winners Fiji in motion for the primary time.
Click on right here to learn ‘This Shrine Is A Massive Hit With Baseball Followers!
Click on right here to learn ‘Witnessing Historical past As England Play A Rugby Match In Japan For The First Time In 45 Years!’
Click on right here to learn ‘Twists & Turns Aplenty At Japan’s Title-Deciding Rugby Play-Off Closing’
Click on right here to learn ‘Rugby World Cup Fever Grips Japan For Six Memorable Weeks Of Motion’
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