Rugby World Cup™ Japan 2019
Host City, Kumagaya and Saitama Prefecture
Fact Book
2019.9 Ver.1
1
Index
• Rugby World Cup™ - Kumagaya・Saitama • Host City, Kumagaya • SKUMAM ! KUMAGAYA • Kumagaya Rugby Stadium • Fan Zone • What to Eat in Kumagaya • What to Drink in Kumagaya • What to See in Kumagaya and Gyoda • The Main Attractions of Saitama • Saitama Media tour, Monday, Oct 7th • Contact Details for the Media and Photos
2 Rugby World Cup™ 2019 - Kumagaya・Saitama
■There is One Pre-Match in the Kumagaya Rugby Stadium Friday, Sep 6th, 19:15: Japan VS. South Africa
■There are three Official Rugby World Cup Matches in the Kumagaya Rugby Stadium
■Team Camps in Saitama Prefecture There are 52 team camps across Japan. In Saitama Prefecture, Kumagaya city and Saitama City will host 7 nations.
Host City, Kumagaya
■ Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, is conveniently located only 50–70 kilometers north of Tokyo.
■ Rugby Town Kumagaya: Kumagaya’s rugby history dates back to 1959, when the Kumagaya Commerce and Industrial High School’s rugby club entered the national tournament for the first time.
■ In 1967, a national sports festival was to be held in Saitama Prefecture, and Kumagaya City took this opportunity to hold a range of rugby activities along the Arakawa River.
■ In 1991, Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, one of the leading rugby-dedicated stadiums in Japan, was completed.
■ Tag Rugby has been introduced to every elementary school and as of August 2018, there are 14 rugby clubs in Kumagaya, consisting of men, women, boys, and girls of all ages.
For details, please see pages five and six of the brochure “RUGBY WORLD CUP™ JAPAN2019 SAITAMA・KUMAGAYA
■Access from Tokyo Station 40 minutes to Kumagaya Station, via the JR Joetsu or Hokuriku Shinkansen: ¥3,190, 1 hour and 15 minutes to Kumagaya Station, via the JR Takasaki line: ¥1,140. Both are covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
■Access from Shinjuku Station 1 hour and 10 minutes to Kumagaya Station via the Shonan-Shinjuku line: ¥1,140. Covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Tag Rugby Rugby Ball and Boy Passion for rugby at the Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival 4 monument SKUMAM ! KUMAGAYA
• Created with the wish that all townspeople, as one scrum, can welcome visitors to Kumagaya (lit. Bear Valley), we have created the slogan “SKUMAM! KUMAGAYA”
• The two bears putting their arms around each others’ shoulders represents the spirit of “all for one and one for all”
• Enjoy finding SKUMAM!KUMAGAYA decorations all across Kumagaya City • Some variations you may come across include:
A restaurant that plans A group of students that, A florist that will offer to make “SKUMAM” during their lunch breaks, rugby ball-shaped flower cookies, and on game are going to study the arrangements and days, giving away samples rules of rugby and bouquet. They will also in addition to selling them practice the national wear rugby uniforms on anthems of the countries game days that will have matches in Kumagaya 5
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium A “Players-First” Facility
Has the first TifGrand grass Four spacious changing rooms for These tubs can be filled with installation in a Japanese sports the players, with lockers arranged in ice water for the players to facility. Known for being a high a circle, creating team spirit and cool their bodies after they density and highly safe grass that is unity. become heated, speeding able to reduce impact damage on their recovery from fatigue. athletes. Overview Structure: Four stories, reinforced concrete and steel beams A Night Game Facility VIP Lounge Total Floor Space: Approx. 28,000㎡ Seats: 24,000 (Approx. 6,000 in the main stands, 10,000 in the rear stands, and 4,000 each for the north- and south-end stands * 1,600 temporary seats will be added for the Rugby World Cup matches Built: 1991 Renovated: Summer 2018 (to host Rugby World Cup matches)
• One of the few rugby-dedicated stadiums in Japan. • The touch line is 9 meters from the edge of the main stands and 8 meters from the back stands. 6 • The height difference between the pitch and the stands is minimal. High quality lights are installed. Located on the 3rd floor Fan Zone
■ The fan zone is an event space where anyone can enjoy the Rugby World Cup. It contains: -Public Viewing Areas -Stage Events -A Rugby Experience Space -Food and Drinks (Kumagaya local treats as well as 360°Rugby Attraction Hall international food) -And MORE! ■Access
■Free of charge to enter ■Opening Hours Date Open Hours Games 1 Sep 20th(Fri) 17:00-22:00 Japan vs. Russia
2 Sep 21st(Sat) 12:00-21:00 3Sep 22nd (Sun) 12:00-21:30 4Sep 24th (Tue) 15:30-21:30 Russia vs. Samoa @Kumagaya Stadium 5Sep 28th (Sat) 12:00-21:00 Japan vs. Ireland
6Sep 29th (Sun) 10:00-20:00 Georgia vs. Uruguay @Kumagaya Stadium 7Oct 4th (Fri) 17:00-22:00 8Oct 5th (Sat) 12:00-21:45 Japan vs. Samoa 9Oct 6th (Sun) 12:00-19:00 In front of Kumagaya City Hall, an 8 minute walk from Kumagaya Station 7 10 Oct 9th (Wed) 10:00-21:00 Argentine vs. America @Kumagaya Stadium Address:
What to Eat in Kumagaya *Listed shops are only an example—there are a wide variety of other places.
■Kumagaya Udon (noodles) ■Gokabo (traditional Kumagaya confectionary) As Kumagaya is one of Japan’s leading wheat Its ingredients, including glutinous producers, Kumagaya udon must contain at least rice, soybeans, and starch syrup, 50% locally-grown wheat. are all natural
Horiuchi Seika A long-established shop with more than 130 years’ history
Address: 2-15 Honcho Kumagaya, Saitama. Open Hours: 9:00-18:00 (closes when all stock is sold out) Closed: Sundays Tel: +81-48-522-1556 URL: https://www.gokabo.jp/ Yorimichi-ya (Restaurant)
■Yukikuma (shaved ice with a homemade syrup) Address: 1-108 Tsukuba, Kumagaya, Saitama Cha no Nishida (Restaurant) Opening Hours: Address: 1523 Menuma, Kumagaya, Saitama 11:00-13:00, 18:00-LAST Open Hours: 9:00-19:00 (yukikuma is sold from 11-16:00) An udon making experience is Closed: Closed: Mondays, Tuesdays also available. (Advanced Tel: +81-48-588-0304 Mondays, Thursdays reservations are required) Tel: +81-48-577-7545 URL: https://www.nishidaen.com/ th URL: https://yorimichiya.com/ Available until Sep 30 and after that only on weekends8 Near Menuma Shodenzan What to Drink in Kumagaya
■ A Bar-Hopping Culture ■Bars and Restaurants The area around Kumagaya Station is know as an -Teppachi (Rugby Bar) entertainment hub for people who want to enjoy a good drink Address: 2-115 Tsukuba, Kumagaya, Saitama in a warm atmosphere after 5:00 pm. Open: Weekdays 11:00-14:00, 16:00-23:00 Weekends and National Holidays 11:00-23:00 ■Sake Brewed by Gonda Shuzo (Brewery) Address: 2-115 Tsukuba, Kumagaya, Saitama Gonda Sake Brewery was founded in Kumagaya City in 1850, URL: http://www.8kai.co.jp/tetu8.html and is blessed with clean underground water and bitter cold winters needed for good sake. “Naozane” is available here
- KAMA MATILDA -THE ROONY ARMS (Irish Pub) Address: 2 -54-1 Tsukuba, Kumagaya, Saitama Address: 3-156 Tsukuba, Kumagaya City Open: 17:00-25:00 except Mondays Open: 14:00-26:00 URL: http://www.oideyo- URL: http://www.oideyo-kumagaya.com/kumanomi- kumagaya.com/kumanomi-en/kumanomi-03- en/kumanomi-03-en/ Its major brand, en/ Naozane, is very popular in Kumagaya pubs. It was named Some of the staff are after a military rugby players commander of Kumagaya Gonda Shuzo Co., Ltd. Address: 1491 Mikajiri, Kumagaya, Saitama, 360-0843 TEL: +81 48-532-3611 Brewery Visits are available. Open: Mon–Sat. 9 AM – 6 PM Reservations are required. 9 URL:http://www.gondasyuzou.com/en/ For more bar and restaurant information: http://www.oideyo-kumagaya.com/kumanomi-en/
What to See in Kumagaya and Gyoda ■Menuma Shodenzan（Temple) ■World’s Largest Rice Paddy Art, as certified This temple was founded in 1179 by a local governor to enshrine Shoden, a god of by Guinness World Records good fortune. It is visited by those wishing to ward off misfortune and who want help in matchmaking. The main hall has been designated as a National Treasure and is an overwhelmingly powerful piece of architecture, with elaborate sculptures on the outer wall.
The shaved ice shop, Cha no Nishida is nearby. (See P. 8)
Access Bus Rugby art is visible until mid-October, 2019. As it’s made from different At JR Kumagaya Station, take an Asahi bus varieties of rice, rather than painting rice plants, the color may be more bound for either Ohta-Eki, Nishi-Koizumi-Eki, or yellowish in September and October. Menuma-Shoden-Mae, get off at Seiten-Mae, and then walk about 1 minute Access From JR Gyoda Station, take the City Junkan Loop bus, and get off at Car Kodaihasu no Sato. From JR Kumagaya Station to Gyoda Station is 4 minutes. It’s about 40 minutes from the Hanazono IC on the Kan-Etsu Expressway By taxi from JR Kumagaya Station is about 30 minutes or 10 km 10 Main Attractions of Saitama
■Kawagoe (Historic City) ■The Omiya Bonsai Village Kawagoe City is called Little Edo because the cityscape Local Dishes Showcasing potted trees, viewing stones, painting materials, and and culture of the Edo period (1603-1886) still exists -Unagi (eel) historic materials with a focus on bonsai trees. today. Being surrounded by rivers, this is a Kawagoe specialty. There The Toki no Kane (the tower pictured below) has marked are numerous long-established the passage of time in Kawagoe since the Edo period. Ungai restaurants in Kawagoe city.
-Sweet Potatoes Kawagoe has been known as a sweet potato production area for over 250 years. Today, many sweet potato desserts are sold at stores.
th th Kawagoe Festival （Oct 19 and 20 , 2019） The Omiya Bonsai Village is located a few minutes walk Registered as a UNESCO Intangible from the station. Long ago, gardeners living in Tokyo took Cultural Heritage, this festival has been care of the gardens of feudal lords and samurai. After the held in autumn each year at the Hikawa Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, a group of bonsai Shrine for over 370 years. gardeners immigrated to this area in search of land https://www.kawagoematsuri.jp/English suitable for growing bonsai. In 1925 the Omiya Bonsai Access: /index.html Village was established. With easy access from Tokyo, 30-60 minutes via the Tobu Tojo line, JR, or Seibu Shinjuku line Access: Kawagoe Festival Museum 35 minutes from Tokyo station to Toro station by JR https://kawagoematsuri.jp/matsurimuse Utsunomiya Line, followed by a 5 minutes walk URL: https://www.koedo.or.jp/foreign/english/ um/ URL: http://www.bonsai-art-museum.jp/en/ 11
The Main Attractions of Saitama ■Hanno ■ Nagatoro ■Chichibu A popular tourist spot surrounded by the beauty of nature. It has flourished as a tourist area since the end of the 19th Hanno is famous century, and currently receives 2 million visitors a year. From late October to place for hiking. Nagatoro can be enjoyed all year round, with plum blossoms, late November, you Many hikers comes cherry blossoms, and many other flowers, hiking trails, water can see beautiful here and explore the sports, and numerous interactive activities. autumn leaves in Naguri river. Chichibu.
Chichibu Geo Unotawa Gravity Park Mountain Trail offers guests an The source of the Naguri outdoors experience River in Hanno City, you filled with excitement can see a beautiful world of and adrenaline. moss.
All activities are designed to use the Model plan for a day- natural terrain and the hike from Hanno Station A fun activity: Nagatoro River Boating force of gravity, such that as soon as you Access: Access: come through the gates, 40 mins. by train from you can feel its pull. Approx. 120 minutes from Ikebukuro or Ueno station, Ikebukuro Sta. and 45 mins. by bus from Hanno URL:https://www.nagatoro.gr.jp/en/index.html Access: Sta. 80 mins from Ikebukuro Sta. URL: https://gravitypark.jp/ to Mitsumineguchi Sta. URL: https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/chokotabi-saitama/eng/travelmag/68.html 12 The Main Attractions of Saitama ■Sayama Green Tea ■Japanese Sake There are three important things when it comes to brewing sake- water, rice, and skill. All three of these are found at Saitama Sayamacha (Sayama tea) is produced mainly in the Prefecture’s 34 sake breweries, where a large amount of Japan’s southwestern region of Saitama. Sayamacha, as refined sake comes from. one of the northernmost grown teas in Japan, is https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/chokotabi- known for its particular emphasis on taste. saitama/eng/ichioshi/jizake.html
Tea Picking Experience - Miyano-en Entry fee: ¥1000 Chichibu Nishiki – Yao Honten Open: 10:00 (90 min) and 13:30 (90 min). Sake Tsukuri no Mori (Forest of Sake Making) Closed : November through April Chichibu Nishiki, a sake that has been nurtured in Chichibu has a URL: http://miyanoen.com/en/ history of over 270 years. Tel. : +81-4-2959-3025 Open: 9:00–17:00 25-2 Kitairiso, Sayama, Saitama Closed: Tuesdays, New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day Entrance fee: ¥200 (Reservation required for brewery) Tel. +81-494-22-8787 1432 Kubo no Iri, Bessho-ji, Chichibu city, Saitama URL: http://chichibunishiki.com/ ■Wine ■Whisky Chichibu, with its inland climate, has a wide Ichiro’s Malt – Venture Whisky temperature variance between day and night, and especially, when the temperature is low at night, the WWA2018: Ichiro's Malt & Grain Limited Edition Japanese sugar content in grapes increases and their Blended Whisky coloration improves. [Worlds Best Blended Whisky Limited Release] While not open to public, once-daily tours of the distillery Usagida Wine – Chichibu Farmers Factory are available to professionals In April 2014, Chichibu Farmers Factory began For the tour, advanced booking is required planting both Berry A and Merlot varieties. Tel. +81-494-26-7173 Tel. +81-494-62-4601 3720 Shimo Yoshida, Chichibu, Saitama Midorigaoka 49, Chichibu, Saitama URL: https://www.facebook.com/ChichibuDistillery/ URL: https://chichibu-ff.com/winery/ 13
Saitama Media tour, Monday, Oct 7th
■Menuma Shodenzan Temple ■Nagatoro River Boating ■English Media tour of Kumagaya and Chichibu Please refer to Slide 10 Please refer to Slide 13 To coincide with the Rugby World Cup, we have organized a special media tour, highlighting Kumagaya (the venue of 3 matches) and Chichibu (a western region of Saitama know for its beautiful nature).
Friday, Oct 7th, 2019 9:30-10:30 Menuma Shodenzan Temple 12:00-13:00 Nagatoro River Boating 13:30-14:30 Lunch 15:00-16:00 Chichibu Distillery 17:30-19:30 Dinner in Kumagaya ■Chichibu Distillery Visit Ichiro’s Malt (Whisky)
To Apply, please visit: QR Code: The tour highlight is a visit to the Chichibu https://surveys.synoint.com/view/index.php?sid=52857&lang=en Distillery, where visits by the general public are usually not available. Ichiro’s Malt has been receiving attention the world over, especially after the Ichiro’s Malt The tour is free of charge. Card Series whisky, “King of Diamonds”, was In the event the number of applicants exceeds the number of available spaces, a draw given the Gold Award in Whisky Magazine. will be held to determine which applicants may participate. The Hanyu Ichiro Full Card Series, composed All international media outlets are welcome (including those based in Japan). of 54 individual bottles, was auctioned off at Participating in only one or a few of the activities is also possible. Individual tours may be also arranged by request. nearly 1 million USD in Hong Kong in August 2019. Please feel free to contact us for more information. 14 Contact Details for the Media and Photos ■Contact Saitama Prefecture & Kumagaya City Media Desk E-mail: [email protected] TEL: +81 3-6880-9121 Operation Schedule: Friday, August 23rd to Friday, October 18th (Mon-Fri: 10:00-17:00 / UCT +9:00 *English Available) Bluemoon Marketing Inc.(Tokyo, Minato-ku) Ayako Noda, Maaya Kinoshita, or Asami Yanagisawa We also accept requests to help coordinate visits Saitama Prefecture and Kumagaya City ■Photos Will be available at http://bluemoonmarketing.jp/rwc_saitama_kumagara_images/
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