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.