2019 rugby World Cup in Japan: how to go, where to stay, what to do?

Here are our best tips for preparing your trip to Japan and attending the 9th edition of the 2019 rugby World Cup!

Are you fascinated by Japan and passionate about rugby? Blend your two penchants by going to see the 2019 rugby World Cup matches that will take place in Japan! Every four years since 1987, the World Rugby organizes a world tournament between the best rugby nations in XV. For a little over a month, each qualified nation tries to win the trophy, named William Webb Ellis Trophy. The next edition is the ninth of its history, and will be held for the first time in Asia, Japan from 20 September to 2 November 2019 . While Japan estimates that 30 million tourists will visit Japan in 2020, this event is expected to increase Japan’s tourist attendance, especially as the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be held the following year.

To attend the 2019 rugby World Cup games, you will need to prepare a minimum your trip and take you there in advance. Here is the way to go to Japan: dates, administrative procedures, ticketing, host cities where to stay and visit between matches .

Go to Japan for the rugby World Cup: visa & plane tickets

For French nationals holding a valid passport on the scheduled date of return, are exempted from a visa for 90 days for a trip to Japan. This means that they can enter Japanese territory and visit the Japanese archipelago for 90 days on the simple presentation of the French passport. This temporary residence visa exemption takes precedence in many countries, and concerns – in Japan – tourism trips, transits, visits to family and friends, business trips, school trips, non-paid courses, lectures, admission examinations to university or amateur competitions.

In order to enter the Japanese archipelago, the Japanese authorities require the possession of a return flight ticket proving the date of the country’s exit (which will obviously have to show to the customs when arriving at the airport).

To book your flight tickets back and forth, we advise you to compare prices on the famous flight comparison Skyscanner . For example, you can find flights from Paris to Tokyo for 15 days, with Air China (the cheapest company). Those who have the chance not to be forced by the dates, i.e. to stay in Japan longer than the duration of the tournament, we found flights from 485 € from 18 September to 28 November.

These are only indicative dates and the rates can change by then, but one thing is sure: going to Japan is relatively accessible if we get there in advance! Flight tickets to Japan during the World Cup will be available for sale from September/October 2018. For more security and comfort, you can also turn to a travel organizer where everything will be understood: flights, trains to rally one city to another, tickets to attend matches and even accommodation.

Where and how to buy tickets for the French Team games?

The date to buy "big public" tickets for matches is approaching... From September 19 to November 12, 2018, one year before the opening of the World Cup, tickets will be put on sale via an application system on the world’s official website and you will have to be ready.

Booking of tickets for the 2019 CDM games in Japan will be made after registration on the site. The ideal is of register for the newsletter to be kept informed of the opening of sales. The rates start at 15€ and go up to 113€ square according to cities and matches. Some of the tickets will be drawn by lot. These tickets will only be nominative and their resale will be strictly forbidden, notice to the sites that would promise you impossible.

In January 2019, there will be a last chance to get tickets for the rugby World Cup, as the last tickets will be available on the "first come, first served" principle.

Cities host of rugby CDM games in Japan

Attending the rugby World Cup games 2019 is also a great way to visit the host cities while waiting for the time of the confrontation between the two teams. For this 9th edition, host cities will be Sapporo, Kamaishi City, Kumagaya City (Saitama), Tokyo, Yokohama, Shizuoka, Toyota, Oita, Kunamoto, Fukuoka, Kobe and Higashiosaka (Osaka). These twelve cities are sometimes far from the north to the south, like Sapporo and Fukuoka.

How to move to Japan during the World Cup?

There will be a certain budget to travel between cities, by train, by bus, by metro or by taxi. Note that one can acquire the JR Pass , a train package reserved for foreign tourists, valid 7, 14 or 21 days according to the chosen offer. This pass allows you to board trains in an unlimited manner (except the lines of Shinkansen NOZOMI and MIZUHO). The train is certainly the best way to travel to Japan, especially since the JR Pass will be profitable on the second route. Since France plays its group games in four different cities, you are advised to choose this option.

Dates and venues of the French Team matches in Japan

Here are the dates and cities where the matches of the French team will take place during the qualifying phase:

• France-Argentina on September 21, 2019 (at 9:15 French time) in Tokyo
• France-United States on 2 October 2019 (at 9h45 French time) in Fukuoka
• France-Tonga 6 October 2019 (at 9:45 French time) in Kunamoto
• England-France on 12 October 2019 (at 10:15 French time) in Yokohama

Regarding the rest of the Rugby World Cup calendar in Japan, here are the dates and venues of the final stages matches:

• Quart de finale 1 – Saturday 19 October (9h15), Oita
• Quart de finale 2 – Saturday 19 October (12h15), Tokyo
• Quart de finale 3 – Sunday 20 October (9h15), Oita
• Quart de finale 4 – Sunday 20 October (12h15), Tokyo
• Half-final 1 – Saturday 26 October (10h), Yokohama
• Semifinal 2 – Sunday 27 October (11h), Yokohama
• Petite-finale – Friday November 1 (11h), Tokyo
• Final – Saturday 2 November (11h), Yokohama

How and where to stay in Japan during the World Cup?

Surely, it’s the accommodation that hits the budget of a traveller in Japan. If you have knowledge and relatives who already live in the Japanese archipelago, try to get you a shepherd. Otherwise, you'll have to pay... Especially since during the global tournament, prices are likely to increase, just like the price of flights. Here's how and where to stay in Japan during the World Rugby Cup 2019 to XV.

The offer of accommodation is vast in Japan: 1 to 4-star hotels, ryokans – Japanese traditional youth hostel with onsen , formerly used as a rest for travellers -, famous Japanese hotels capsules, youth hostels, minshuku (houses, in the countryside) or shukubo (accommodation in a room of a Buddhist temple) to spend an unusual night. Alternatively, you can obviously book an apartment at the home, via the platform Airbnb in particular.

What to do in Japan during the rugby World Cup?

What to see and what to do between the games? Japan has a multitude of historical wonders and monuments to visit: with a multi-millenary history, the country is also a cultural power and its gastronomic heritage is no longer rich. Between two rugby games or before or after the World Cup, you will have the opportunity to visit some cities in Japan and their surroundings.

Here is a list of things to do in the twelve host cities of the World Cup games of rugby 2019:

• Sapporo: visit Odori Park, the Sapporo Beer Museum, climb up the top of the TV tower,
• Kamaishi City: see the Daikannon statue and Kamaishi Bay, the Kamaishi Hikifune Festival (third week of October),
• Kumagaya City (Saitama): visit Saitama, Tokyo, go to the Kawagoe festival (third Saturday and Sunday of October), the bonsai village of Omiya,
• Tokyo : see the districts of Shibuya and Shinjuku, visit Buddhist temples and shinto shrines, Harajuku district, go to Yoyogi Park, etc.,
• Yokohama: wandering in Chinatown, Sankei-en (Japanese garden), climbing up the Landmark Tower to Minato Mirai 21,
• Shizuoka : the port of Shimizu, the Tatsumi tower of Sunpu Castle, walk on the beach of Miho, admire the tea fields
• Toyota: visit the municipal art museum, the auto museum, taste gohei mochi, etc.,
• Oita: visit the Onsens, hot water baths and springs, climb to Yufu Mountain,
• Kunamoto: climb to Kunamoto Castle, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, the Suizenji-jojuen Garden, the Cave of Reigando, etc.,
• Fukuoka: Taste the ramen Hakata, climb up the Fukuoka Tower, contemplate the pruniers in Dazaifu, taste tea in Yame, see the Buddha of the Nanzo Temple,
• Kobe: Harborland, Chinatown, see the Ikuta-jinja Shrine, strolling to the Kitano district, making the fall of Nunobiki,
• Higashiosaka (Osaka): go to the Keitakuen Garden, Tennoji Park, make the Kuromon Ichiba market, visit Osaka University Studio, Dotonbori Street, wander in the Namba district, climb to Osaka Castle, see the Shinto Shrine Sumiyoshi Taisha.

This list is far from exhaustive: you will not miss things to do between the games.

Main photo credit: Wikimedia – 詩村 Is it true?