Japan vs Wales – Over five decades of meetings

As Matt Sherratt takes his squad to Japan to face Eddie Jones’ side this summer, The Rugby Paper takes a look back at all of the pair’s last 14 meetings ahead of Wales’ tour of the Land of the Rising Sun.

In the 14 games played between 1973 and 2016, Wales have only lost once, in 2013 – the same year as a British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. 

Let’s go back to October 1973, when Japan travelled from the Far East on a tour of France, England and Wales.

Prior to the clash with Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park, the Brave Blossoms began the tour a few short weeks earlier, where they had meetings with East Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, West Glamorgan, Western Counties (Wales) and then concluded their visit with a match against Wales. 

This was the first time Japan had toured a home union. Wales scored 11 tries to Japan’s two, and Max Boyce even wrote a song about the encounter called ‘Asso Asso Yogoshi’ which features on his album ‘Live at Treorchy’.

The first encounter also marked a significant step in the developing relationship between the two teams.

READ MORE: Liam Williams – What’s Next for the Welsh Rugby Star? 

Wales’ First Japan Tours

Continuing that relationship, it was Wales’ tour to Asia, and, more importantly, their first trip to Japan, where they met again.

This occurred two years later, in 1975, when they played two matches in Osaka and Tokyo. On that tour, no caps were awarded by the Welsh Rugby Union.

Both meetings finished brutally for Japan as Wales, skippered by Mervyn Davies, scored 138 points respectively in the meetings compared to the Brave Blossoms’ mere 18.

Eight years after this, Japan returned to Wales in 1983, where they played four matches in the build-up to the second encounter at the Cardiff Arms Park.

Abertillery, Pembrokeshire, Neath and Newbridge were their opponents, and Japan recorded two victories against Abertillery (17-13) and Newbridge (19-14).

It was a quick turnaround after the triumph over Newbridge, and it was the closest at the time that Japan had to victory over Wales, as Wales ran out narrowly 29-24 victors.

This was yet another game where Welsh players were not capped.

It would then be an entire decade before the two would meet again.

First Cap Match

More importantly, this was the first cap match between the two nations, and Wales remained unbeaten in the fixture as they were 55-5 victors. This was then followed by Wales’ first tour of the nation. 

Like many of the tours of the country, which Welsh rugby fans have grown accustomed to, there was a mixture of youth and experience on show.

Wales won both Tests (64-10 & 53-30) despite also losing on Japanese soil for the first time against Suntory Sungoliath, now known as Tokyo Sungoliath, in a warm-up game in 2001. 

In both the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups, Wales continued the formula of wide margin victories, recording wins of 57-10 and 64-15.

Then in 2004, Japan headed to Europe, where they played a series of Test matches against Scotland, Romania and Wales. 

This was Wales’ most significant win to date, as captain Colin Charvis crossed the whitewash on four occasions, Tom Shanklin got a hat-trick whilst Rhys and Shane Williams both bagged a brace.

Mefin Davies, Gareth Cooper, and Gethin Jenkins got the other scores as Gavin Henson slotted 14 conversions, which guided Wales to a 98-0 victory. 

In 2007, the pair met at the France (also played in Wales) World Cup for the third time, and again were comfortable 72-18 victors.

One thing that should live long in the memory from that meeting was winger Kosuke Endo’s try, which came from a turnover from lock Hitoshi Ono metres from his side’s try-line.

2013

In another year, when Wales’ tour of Japan fell in the same year as a Lions tour of Australia (2013), which was also Wales’ first Test series against the Brave Blossoms since 2001, Wales again used the tour as one for handing out experience for players. 

The encounters in both Osaka and Tokyo were the first time a tier one nation had been in Japan since Italy in 2006.

Robin McBryde took the helm as head coach with both Warren Gatland and Rob Howley absent, and he oversaw his side’s 22-18 victory, as at the time, the boots of a young Dan Biggar and Rhys Patchell were instrumental in the narrow victory.  

The following week at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Japan finally found a breakthrough in the second Test.

For the first time, Japan were 23-8 victors, and this meant the Series would end in a draw as they recorded their first ever win over Wales. 

2016

Finally, the pair’s last outing came back in the Welsh capital at Principality Stadium in 2016. This was yet again another enthralling encounter as Wales were on the cusp of a brutal result. 

That day saw Sam Davies employ his get-out-of-jail card as he slotted a last-minute drop goal, which saved Wales from a second consecutive game without victory over Japan.

So I wonder, how will this year’s summer series between Japan and Wales play out? 

By Harry Tovey

Results

Wales 62-14 Japan, Cardiff Arms Park – October 6, 1973

Japan 12-56 Wales, Hanazono Stadium, Osaka – September 21, 1975

Japan 6-82 Wales, Tokyo Olympic Stadium – September 24, 1975

Wales 29-24 Japan, Cardiff Arms Park – October 22, 1983

Cap games:

Wales 55-5 Japan, Cardiff Arms Park – October 16, 1993

Wales 57-10 Japan, Springbok Park, Bloemfontein – May 27, 1995

Wales 64-15 Japan, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff – October 9, 1999

Japan 10-64 Wales, Hanazono Stadium, Osaka – June 10, 2001

Japan 30-53 Wales, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo – June 17, 2001

Wales 98-0 Japan, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff – November 26,

Wales 72-18 Japan, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff – November 20, 2007          

Japan 18-22 Wales, Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Osaka – June 8, 2013 

Japan 23-8 Wales, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo – June 15 2013

Wales 33-30 Japan, Principality Stadium, Cardiff – November 19 2016