Japan are one of the oldest international rugby teams. They played in three of the first four World Cups, and have had an international women's team longer than "traditional" rugby nations such as Scotland, Ireland, or Australia, but years of internal mismanagement resulted in the game stagnating and Japan being largely left behind as the rest of the women's rugby world moved forward. Between 1991 and 2008 the Japanese went on only one overseas tour - not a way to develop a team.
In last couple of years, however, the main Japanese RFU have taken over the running of the women's team from the women's union, and have started a long term plan to turn round what should be a powerhouse of Asian rugby - after all there has been a well established club game in the country for nearly a quarter of a century. The potential is there.
As a result they have started a series of fairly low profile overseas tours, playing leading club sides in friendly matches rather than full-blown, high profile international games. Last summer they hopped over the Pacific to play some games in the Canadian province of British Columbia, and this summer they are here.So on Thursday they will be playing Richmond, and on Saturday - the day before the World Cup Final - they will be at Bramley Lane to play Saracens (at the moment I don't have any kick-off times).
Their team will be a mixture of youth and experience. 37 year old former captain and wing Angela Elting returns at No8, while second row Chikako Sasaki will be putting on the national colours again at he age of 39. They are joined by 25 year old centre Akari Fujisaki - who is also semi-professional volleyball player - and 23 year old Nobuko Noge, one of her country's leading shot-putters, who will be by the far the heaviest of the props at 88kg.
Their target is the 2014 World Cup, and with Kazakhstan barely treading water internationally, its a realistic possibility.
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