Rugby in Japan

I'm gathering some documents about early Japanese rugby ... Above is a full page print published in Harper's Weekly, May 1874 showing, as caption explains, "a foot-ball match between Englishmen and Scotchmen near the city of Yokohama, in Japan" (king size picture here). Searching the web, I've found these explanations from author Mike Galbraith in "History of Rugby in Japan" on Yokohama (YC&AC) Rugby Club website.

Rugby seems to have first been played in Japan by the British in the late 1860’s or early 1870’s when the foreign settlement was established in Yokohama. A battalion of “Tommies” was stationed on “Camp Hill” (presently known as Minato No Mieru Oka Park) between 1864 and 1874 and they were well-known as ‘a sporting lot’. Many of the first rugby matches in Japan probably involved these “Tommies”.

According to Wikipedia, "local" rugby was later introduced to students at Keio University in 1899 by two Cambridge fellows, Edward B.Clarke and Tanaka Ginnosuke... sorry, no picture yet...

We also have to consider New Zealand "regional" influence in the development of Japanese rugby, as per this cover of Otago Witness from May 1908 (click for larger copy) showing Kobe Rugby Interport and Yokohama (again...) Interport Rugby Teams. The scan is poor, but the captions are explicit about Kiwi influence : team players are mainly expats (but not only...) and the captain of Kobe team is C.L.Spence, late of Dunedin, whereas Yokohama is captained by Mr G.K.Totton of Auckland (from the "Yokohama branch of the New Zealand Insurance Company"... the newspaper said). (credit and warm thanks to PapersPast, online archives service of NZ National Library... so many documents to dig there...)

(break) Note to myself for a future post: Universities and Ports... cradles of worldwide rugby...

Japanese Rugby Union was created in 1926 (say, just 6 years after French Rugby Union...)... and did welcome Canada for its first international fixture in 1932 (Japan b Canada 9-8). Has someone some pictures to share ? Instead (!), I'm posting this fine Japanese illustrated postcard from the 1920s (errr... my guess...).

 I'll be very happy if someone could identify the teams and translate the caption below the rugby picture (my guess is that it simply reads "rugby football"...Oct 6 : correct ! thanks Naly D) ! Here is a zoom...

 

Okay... I still have a couple of pictures to share... next time !

edit Oct 6 : just found a well documented "brief history of Rugby Union in Japan". I don't know who to credit ? this page is here @ pakistanrugby.com

Phil Atkinson also recalls a series a photographies recently sold on eBay about the Canadian tour in 1932. If the owner reads these lines... I would be happy if he/she would agree to share some of his pictures here ! ("sample" below...)

 

Comments

[Phil Atkinson]

Great stuff Fred: it's you who's got that lovely Japanese Card, is it? Saw it on ebay. I also saw, copied, but didn't win, pics of Canada in Japan 1932. I'll email you with some.
Cheers,
Phil Atkinson.

[Naly D]

Yes, you are right - the three last characters say [in order from L to R]

Bi Gu Ra [Ragubi when read in Japanese, which is... Rugby!]

[Frederic (www.rugby-pioneers.com)]

Thanks to both of you ! I've edited my post following your comments

[Hadyn]

The post card really threw me, I don't think I've ever seen Japanese written R to L (or maybe I have and wondered why I couldn't read it)

[Simon]

It used to be written right to left. Rugby Magazine (Japanese monthly) did quite a big article of the 1932 Canadian tour a couple of years back with quite a few picks and they talked to the last surviving Canadian player who incidentally was the oldest living intenational rugby player at that time. Unfortunately when I moved back to NZ from Japan last year I threw all my rugby mags in the rubbish.

Yes, Keio Gijuku University was the first local team and celebrated their centenary in 1999 by winning the All Japan University Championship for the first time in many years.

I think YCAC and Kobe Rowing and Athletics (KRAC) still play every year a friendly match.

[Phil Atkinson]

Hi Fred
I don't know if I sent you a copy of the good team photo of the Canada in Japan 1930s team which I've just found elsewhere on my PC. I'll send it anyway, you never know, someone might recognise a relation from this sharper posed shot should you choose to post it. Cheers,
Phil Atkinson.

[Cath]

Hell of a post ! I ignored rugby could be as popular in Japan at the time ! Great job of investigation Fred :)

[Phil Blakeway]

Hi there, Great blog, indeed. On the topic of Japan's rugby, here you have a link to an Spanish site with some information avalaible:

http://www.zonarugby.com/2008/09/05/la-tierra-del-sol-naciente/

[Frederic]

interesting paper indeed ! thank you Phil