THE JAPANESE GUIDE
 
1 Sushi guide
 
Whether in Japan watching the football or back in Britain watching it, you can try some Japanese food - the traditional dish of Japan is Sushi. Sushi is usually known as a piece of fish on the top of specially prepared boiled rice. It can also be rice and ingredients rolled up with sea weed. Make sure the fish is fresh. You can put soy sauce or wasabi (Japanese horseradish) on the sushi. You should really use your fingers to eat the sushi rather than use chopsticks. It is seen as impolite to leave any food left over!
 
2 Beer guide
 
Kirin larger used to be the by far the most popular beer (4.9% by volume - darker than a light beer) but has been challenged recently by Asahi beers. The Asahi Super Dry beer has now won the battle of the beers in the last decade, apparently known as the "Dry War". It is now the most popular beer in Japan, especially popular with the young generation (4.5% by volume - light beer).
 
Asahi have also introduced the Asahi Black Draft for the more mature adults and this beer contains 5% by volume with a stronger more bitter flavour. Sapporo Black Stout Draft is also quite popular.
 
Note that Kirin beer is still the most popular beer outside Japan.
 
3 Things to see (other than football)
 
Japan's closest neighbours are China, South Korea and Russia. It has 125,000,000 people in an area about the size of Italy. There are many volcanoes in Japan, the most famous one being Mt Fuji (can be seen from Tokyo).
 
In the centre of Tokyo there is the Meiji Shrine to visit (completed in 1920, destroyed in World War 2 and rebuilt). There is also the Senso Temple (very old) and the Senkaku Temple in the centre of Tokyo. Shibuya-Harajuku is a very busy popular entertainment/shopping district in Tokyo (others are Ameyoko and Shinjuku). In Tokyo there is also the Tokyo Tower (333 metres high), the Imperial Palace and Tokyo waterfront to visit.
 
In Yokohama (where the final is held) places to visit include Chinatown, the Landmark Tower (296 metres tall), Bay Bridge and shop in Motomachi. Yokohama is Japans second largest City behind Tokyo.
 
Osaka is the third largest city with Kita as the main shopping district. Places of interest include the Osaka Castle Area, the Bay Area, the Minami District and the Tennoji district.
 
                                                                                                                    World Cup football home page
*** Written before the World Cup 2002 began ***

The 2002 World Cup is to be held in Japan and South Korea. England will never have to go to South Korea in the finals, however, even if they get all the way to the final. A map of Japan is shown below.
 
England start off the World Cup 2002 by playing Sweden in Saitama on 2 June. Saitama stadium is just north of Tokyo, Japan and holds 63,700 people. This stadium is also used for Japan's game against Belgium on 4 June, Cameroon's match against Saudi Arabia on 6 June and the England's semi final match on 26 June (if they get that far)
 


The Sapporo dome 


England's second match against Argentina on 7 June is in Sapporo at the Sapporo dome with a 42,000 capacity. Sapporo is in North Japan on the island of Hokkaido and is a 1.5 hour plane drive or 12 hour train ride from Tokyo. It was the venue for the Winter Olympic games in 1972. The football pitch is kept outside and rolled inside the dome on a cushion of air when needed (this apparently takes 2 hours). Note that Germany will have played Saudi Arabia here on 1 June and Italy will have played Ecuador here on 3 June.
 
England's final group match against Nigeria on 12 June is in Osaka at the Nagai stadium, with a 50,000 capacity. This town is South West of Tokyo (about 2.5 hours by train) and is bidding for the 2008 Olympics - a 100,000 Olympic stadium is to be built in Osaka by 2007. Tunisia play Japan here too on 14 June.
 
If England win the group they will go to Oita on 16 June and then hopefully back to Osaka for the quarter final on 22 June. If they come second they will go to Niigata on 15 June and then hopefully Shizuoka for the quarter final on 21 June. If England get through to the semi-finals they will go back to Saitama as mentioned above.
 
The Oita Stadium Big Eye has a retractable roof with a 43,000 capacity. Niigata will host the World Cup Finals for Japan and their stadium is the Niigata Stadium Big Swan, holding 42,300. The Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa holds 50,600 people.
 
The final is in the Yokohama national stadium on 30 June. This is Japan's largest stadium, holding 70,000 people.
 
A map showing these places in Japan is given below: