Shimogamo Shrine & Rugby History in Japan

Shimogamo Shrine & Rugby History 下鴨神社

The draw for the 2019 Rugby World Cup to take place in Japan happened earlier this month on May 10 in Kyoto. There is an interesting relationship between Shimogamo Shrine & rugby history, and a look at the history of rugby in Japan might tell us why they chose the former capital, Kyoto, for this event.

Stone memorial to the first game of rugby in western Japan, Shimogamo Shrine

Rugby in Japan

It is believed the first ever game of rugby in Japan was played by British sailors in Yokohama in 1874. The game had spread via a British professor to Keio University, a college founded by Fukuzawa Yukichi. Especially relevant is the fact that Keio was at the forefront of westernizing zeal at the time, in 1899. In Kansai, western Japan, rugby received a boost in 1910. Because in that year, a Keio student taught the game to Third High School students in the grounds of Shimogamo Shrine. Third High School later became the college of Liberal Arts at Kyoto University.

Sawatasha, a small sub-shrine of Shimogamo Jinja, Kyoto

A stone monument and Sawatasha, a small sub-shrine of Shimogamo, now mark the historic spot.

Doshisha University

Rugby became popular in the Kansai with a club at Doshisha University established the following year. And it was the enthusiasm of Kansai students for the game that helped to set up similar clubs at Waseda and Tokyo University in the capital. For this reason, both are now hot beds of the game in Japan. Rugby World Cup dignitaries visited the shrine before the ceremony for the draw. Also, a game of kemari (ancient Japanese football) was held.

Grounds of Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto

History

Japanese history is long and rich, full of tales of winning and losing. And adding rugby to the narrative can only further enrich it!