It’s been an incredible rise in fortunes for the Japanese men’s national rugby team over the last decade or so with the pinnacle being at the World Cup they hosted five years ago.  However, the last few years have seen the Brave Blossoms struggle to progress or even maintain those spectacular heights of 2019. Given their recent form they could do with some extra help, and this shrine may offer the answer!

Shrines dedicated to sport are nothing too new in Japan as a baseball one can be found in Saitama, a generic sport one lies in Koto-ku (Tokyo) and there is also a rugby one in Kyoto. 7.5 kilometres directly north of Kyoto station is the vast and impressive Shimogama Shrine, and within that precinct is a much smaller shrine dedicated to the game of egg-chasing!

It’s called Sawata shrine and actually has a long history dating back to the 8th century before being moved to its present location in June 1470. It was established as a subsidiary shrine of Shimogamo Shrine in March 1877. Then in 1910 a rugby match took place in front of the shrine with a high school team playing against Keio University, and thus the history of Japanese rugby was born. It continues to grow to this day.

Nearly six decades later and the site of that first kick was commemorated, and it has since become something of a sacred spot.

The wooden ema plaques were in the shape of a rugby ball.

There are even signed jerseys in a glass display case from each of the Brave Blossoms (mens) and Sakura 15 (womens) sides. There is no way in hell this would happen back in the UK as the shirts would be stolen quicker than you can imagine!

Just to the side of the shrine is a small building possessing more signed shirts as well as other little souvenirs and lucky charms.

Whilst I was at this shrine back in August, there was a huge second hand book fair taking place on the long gravel-path leading towards Shimogama Shrine. The rugby shrine was smaller than I was expecting so it was actually a little difficult to locate especially as Google Maps took me to the rear of it where it is not possible to enter.

Bonus: Back in 2019 when Japan spectacularly hosted the Rugby World Cup, there was a temporary rugby shrine in Tokyo with a torii gate designed to look like the goal posts.

This was actually my first time to encounter the aforementioned rugby ball-shaped ema plaques.

Extra Bonus: In terms of on-the-field action, I have only been to one international rugby match since seeing Japan play England at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo in June. A very short walk down the road from there is the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground which hosted both semi-finals of the 2024 Pacific Nations Tournament. I was unable to see Japan in action in the second semi but I was free to watch the first one which gave me the chance to see eventual winners Fiji in action for the first time.

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