Abingdonian 2017

82 The Abingdonian Rugby Tour to Japan After a long and tiring journey, we arrived in Japan, welcomed by our enthusiastic tour-guide Brett. We got on a bus to Roppongi, which is an area of Tokyo. We dropped our stuff off and headed into the very humid and wet evening to get our first experience of Japanese cuisine and to explore the area we were staying in. We all enjoyed the food, with lots of us having ramen, which was my personal favourite meal on tour. After grabbing a bite to eat we all returned to the hotel before getting some rest for the next day. Over the course of the next few days we got to explore Tokyo and visit some incredible places. We used the busy underground train as our transport around the city. It was like a British tube, but there were never any delays and the air conditioning certainly was a bonus. We continued to try the food, with sushi being a very popular choice - it was difficult to avoid with the host of sushi bars stretched across the city. Along with peaceful parks and temples, we visited the Shibuya crossing, which is considered the busiest crossing in the world. An estimated 1 million passers- by use it every day, and we joined the number as we searched around the shops looking for some authentic souvenirs. After spending time in Tokyo, we travelled by bus to the mountains, to stay in a complex designed for travelling rugby teams. The place we were staying in was called Sugadaira. It was a very rugby orientated town, with as many as 6000 rugby players being situated there at the time. One feature of our hospitality was the traditional Japanese mats that we had to sleep on. A few of the boys were a little uneasy about the prospect but after a night there were certainly no complaints. Over the course of the next few days we played our first two games. The location was unbelievable, with both matches being played on a pitch overlooking some stunning scenery. The performances were a great marker for the beginning of the tour. Both the 1st XV and 2nd XV teams came away with victories, and it was fantastic to experience Japanese rugby. What was particularly striking was the way in which the Japanese conducted themselves, both on and off the field. They were incredibly polite and kind. The tradition of a post match sing along was different for us, however we belted out Jerusalem with gusto. Whilst spending time in Sugadaira, we got to head into the town where there were strings of rugby shops. Many of us managed to pick up some stash to take home. We then travelled to Nagono, where we visited the oldest Buddhist temple situated in Japan. We all managed to find eternal fortune after touching a special key situated in an underground tunnel. After this we ventured to Niigata, another Japanese city. We spent a night in a hotel before our match the next day. The matches were both played in a stadium which was full of Japanese spectators, who were excited to see the first English sports team in Nagoya. The 2nd XV was unlucky against a top team in the prefecture, whilst the 1st XV played incredibly to win against the best team in Niigata. After the matches we enjoyed some food before being introduced to our host family, who we were going to spend 2 nights with. This experience was incredibly eye opening. With little English being spoken, it was easy to feel immersed into the life of a Japanese family. I visited an old shrine