Japanese Jaunt with a Rugby Ball Kumamoto 13th October

Day return on the train to Kumamoto. We're hoping to be able to buy a couple of tickets for the Wales v Uruguay at the railway station when we arrive. Failing that we shall visit the famous castle then go to the fanzone to watch Wales then stay on to watch the Scotland v Japan match which could be a classic.
When we got to Kumamoto station we had a pleasant surprise and a disappointment. We were presented with rather nice World Cup lapel buttons by a welcoming lady but the information desk told us that all tickets for the match were sold. I really didn't think Wales v Uruguay would be a sellout in a 30,000 seater stadium, but there was an Eisteddfod of Welsh people on the station alone. But, I think the real problem is that the Japanese have really taken the competition to heart with the success of their team.
So Kumamoto Castle it is.

Some historical background, what this board doesn't tell you is that in 2016 there was a massive earthquake here which did an enormous amount of damage. The process of rebuilding and making the structure safe will take an estimated 20 years. The castle has been closed to the public ever since. Today however is the unveiling of the main part to visitors again. You can't fault our timing!

There follows a couple of pictures to illustrate before and after the earthquake. The first picture is a picture of a picture if you see what I mean. This is how it used to look immediately  after the earthquake.

And this is what you see today after 3 years rebuilding.

But there is still a lot to be done and I don't have the time to do any more today.

There was also lots of events in the large park by the entrance. Bands came to perform and dance troupes awaited their turns. There were special local food stalls and a beer tent. I opted for a sort of noodle soup with wild boar meat on top and Helen had Japanese fried chicken.
Earlier we had been given free tickets for a tea ceremony which was due after lunch. Just a privileged group of about thirty of us gathered for this. Actually I found the ceremony as disappointing as the tea. We sat and watched while a kimono togged woman did the tea preparation ("some prepared earlier") also appeared from the tent behind. The prepared tea was handed out and ceremonially drunk. This process was then repeated. We were also given a little cake to eat which contained the ever popular sweet potato. Have a wee look at it. The woman doing the upfront preparing.

The handing out of the tea.

Finally the tea itself.

Maybe I'm missing something of the aesthetics of the ceremony. I'll have to read up on it.
Back on to the bus and down to the fanzone. Although the area was pretty full it was also patently poorly laid out and planned. It was OK for a couple of hundred fans but if it were to fill up it would struggle to be a good experience for anybody.
When we arrived the game on was USA v Tonga. About a third of the crowd were Welsh waiting to be bussed down to the stadium so they would be leaving soon. Even then there was clearly going to be a problem seeing the action and the prospect of standing for nearly four hours was not a happy one.
A steward came round to tell us to go to the buses if we were going to the stadium. I took the chance to tell her what I thought of the fanzone arrangements. Only one big screen which was mounted far too low, merchandise stalls completely sold out, and a ludicrously small amount of seating. It was I told her, the worst fanzone I had ever seen in the last five World Cup competitions. I asked her to pass on my comments to the person in charge.
I expected to hear no more but within ten minutes she returned with the Head Honcho who thanked me for my observations and offered to improve our viewing experience. He proceeded to show us into the VIP area which was the first two rows of benches. There were no other VIPs present!

Below you can see the most important VIP in the VIP area. As you can see this is towards the end of the USA Tonga game. Wales will kick off in about 40 minutes time and we will have one of the best views in Japan.

Although there was never any chance of Wales losing to Uruguay, it was a most frustrating game to watch. Firstly they rested as many starting players as possible. Secondly they couldn't retain enough possession to get any rhythm. This was mainly due to handing errors, forward passes, and silly penalties. They must have had five tries disallowed. In the end it was job done with no injuries to complicate selection for the quarter final. There was a half hour gap before the third and last game, Japan v Scotland. There was some onstage entertainment to fill the time before kick off. 

The fanzone was now filled to capacity and it was announced that anyone leaving the area will not be readmitted. We were virtually entirely surrounded by Japanese fans. Some had even sneaked into our area!

Watching that game was a wonderful experience. We were in the middle of a cauldron of intense enthusiasm, the crowd was very knowledgeable, cheering every turnover and tackle and going completely ecstatic when Japan scored. 

At half time with Japan in the lead, the guy in the picture below took the chance to address the crowd. Note the Mandela touch with the rugby shirt. He was the Governor of the Prefecture and was riding the wave. 

Scotland really should have scored a try in the dying moments with Japan leading 28-21. Such small things, careers turn on. 

The place went ballistic on the final whistle. 

All we now had to do was get back to the railway station on the tram. Sardines in a tin would have been much more comfortable.