It was becoming a well-trodden trail.
First stop for the Japanese rugby fans was the grand old Hudson & Co sports shop on Northgate Street, which was doing a roaring trade in their team’s shirts, scarves, hats and badges.
Then on to Gloucester’s Kingsholm stadium for a glance at the historic ground where their team will take on Scotland on Wednesday.
And finally to the even more majestic Gloucester Cathedral – beautiful in itself, of course, but also big in Japan because its great cloister doubled as Hogwarts corridors in the Harry Potter films.
“We are having a lovely time here in Gloucester,” said Noriko Yoshido, one of a party of Japanese fans that included the parents of the Japanese No 10 Harumichi Tatekawa. “It has been a great few days for Japanese rugby. We were in the air when the South Africa game was on. We touched down in Singapore and couldn’t believe the result.”
In case the thrilling denouement of the game has passed anyone by, Japan beat South Africa with a last-gasp try, a result that has been heralded by some as the biggest upset in international sport of all time. It led to scenes of jubilation – and has led to huge excitement ahead of the Scotland game.
Mieko and Miyako, two friends from Osaka, were shopping for souvenirs in Hudson & Co, plumping in the end for pin badges in the colours of Japan and Wales and miniature balls for the grandchildren. Mieko has attended four rugby World Cups before this one – starting in 1991 when the tournament was last staged on British, Irish and French soil.
Wearing a faded cap autographed by Japanese players of old, she said: “I suppose I might be one of the biggest fans. We hope for another win tomorrow and we’re also enjoying Gloucester – very cute, very quaint.”
If the Japanese fans were glad to be in Gloucester, its residents seemed more than glad to welcome them. By happy chance, the local Aviva Premiership team plays in a very similar kit to Japan - cherry and white hoops. Gloucester are nicknamed the Cherry and Whites while the Japanese are known as the Cherry Blossoms or Brave Blossoms.
The Japanese team made friends here when they took on Gloucester two years ago (and lost easily – a reminder of how far they have come) and also played a pre-tournament friendly at Kingsholm against Georgia.
Scotland v Japan (as imagined in a painting on a bin outside the ground in Gloucester. pic.twitter.com/6UVGeuPfGL
— steven morris (@stevenmorris20) September 22, 2015
“They were popular before the South Africa game because of those links,” said Matthew Williams, the manager of Hudson & Co. “But after that match they’re everyone’s favourite second team. Before the South Africa game we took a gamble and bought 50 Japanese shirts. It’s paid off. We’re down to our last few now.”
It is not only the sports shops that have been doing well. Mark and Samantha Cooke were flying huge Japanese and Scottish flags outside their coffee shop, Cookes. “We’ve been doing very well out of the tournament,” said Samantha. “We had our best ever day on Saturday when Georgia and Tonga played here. Now we’re getting ready for the Japanese and Scottish fans. I think everyone was just charmed by the way the Japanese have played and how they have behaved.”
And, yes, the Scottish fans certainly are here too. Frank Sibbald, from Edinburgh, was wearing a vintage Japanese shirt (from the early 90s). “But I’ll be wearing a Scottish one for the match, that’s for sure,” he said.
Scottish fan Ron was not so ambiguous. He was wearing a kilt and copping plenty of flak. “It’s all good banter, though. I love it that this place is so welcoming to everyone – Japanese, Georgian, even Scottish.” Someone had just offered to buy his match ticket for three times its face value. “There’s no way I’m selling,” he said.
There will be some locals supporting Scotland, especially as their scrum half and captain plays for Gloucester. “I always support the underdogs,” said Gloucester fan Sue Greg. “That’s Scotland this time, isn’t it?”
Paul James, the leader of Gloucester city council, has high hopes that the influx of the Japanese fans – and supporters of the other myriad nations who have arrived to enjoy the jamboree – will provide an economic and cultural boost.
The English West Country is already popular with Japanese tourists, students and businesspeople. Tourists like the Georgian splendour of Bath while Bristol is popular with students. The Japanese carmaker Honda has a factory just down the road in Swindon.
But the business community in Gloucestershire is working hard to use the World Cup to attract more investment from east Asia. “We’ve been planning this for more than three years now,” said James. “We’re determined there will be a great legacy both in economic and cultural terms. Rugby is a big part of the life of this city and I think the fans will discover that Kingsholm is one of the best rugby venues in the world.”
