FC Tokyo’s UK Day
A local team invites Brits to come out for fish, chips and a match

Yasuyuki Konno

Courtesy of FC Tokyo

About bloody time, don’t you think? Many soccer clubs in Japan have celebrated their Brazilian connections, but there’s more to soccer than the South American giant. Finally, one club has decided to pay tribute to the country where the roots of the sport lie: the United Kingdom (which, I’m sure you are aware, invented all sports).

May 12 will be “UK Day” (or “England Day” in the club’s Japanese literature) at FC Tokyo, when the squad faces JEF United Chiba at their home ground, Ajinomoto Stadium. On that day, all British fans can enter the arena for just ¥500, British music will be featured, and you will be able to buy fish ‘n’ chips and Bass Pale Ale in the stadium.

Since joining the J. League in 1999, FC Tokyo has associated itself with English football, to such an extent that the team is welcomed onto the pitch by a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” the theme song of legendary English club Liverpool.

“We want to have the atmosphere of an English soccer club,” says FC Tokyo spokesman Kenzo Fujiwara. “Japanese people know that football comes from England and they respect English football. So, we want to get an English feeling at our ground.” UK Day, he adds, is being supported by the British Embassy, whose staff will present flowers to the players before the game.

FC Tokyo can even boast a former player from England’s Premier League in the form of Costa Rican star Paulo Wanchope, who plied his trade with West Ham, Derby and Manchester City.

“We know there are many British people in the Tokyo area and that many of them love football, so we want to give them a special chance to come and see football locally,” Fujiwara adds. “We hope that if they get to know Japanese football through this event, we can have stronger ties with the foreign community.”

“Many of the fans in the Premier League are incredibly passionate,” FC Tokyo midfielder Yasuyuki Konno points out. “But the J. League also has great fans. I hope many people will take this opportunity to discover the good aspects of watching football in Japan.

“For me, English soccer is something that is incredibly dynamic,” added Konno, who is a fan of Manchester United and Michael Carrick. “Each game is like a clash of the titans.”

Konno’s teammate Yuhei Tokunaga agrees. “Because of the fast transition from defense to attack, the English game is action-packed and very exciting. I hope England Day will showcase our own talents and become an annual event.”

Many of the FC Tokyo players expressed great admiration for Manchester United and Christian Ronaldo.

“I can’t take my eyes off him,” Naohiro Ishikawa admits. “Japanese soccer is still trying to catch up with the English level, but we have similarities in the way we play and the strong support in the stands.

I hope the soccer-loving English people will discover something good about the Japanese game, too.”
Fujiwara’s colleague Shu Namba, too, sees distinct similarities. “We play hard, attacking football,” he explained. “It’s exciting like English football.” He jokingly added that there was room for “at least 20,000 British fans” for the game against JEF at the 48,000-seat stadium.

For those wishing to take in a piece of Japanese-style soccer (or those who just want to drink English beer and eat fried food), kickoff is at 7pm. Tickets for British fans will be available from a special sales tent outside the ground and some form of ID (proving you’re British) must be shown to enjoy the special discount. Ajinomoto Stadium is a five-minute walk from Tobitakyu station on the Keio line, about 20 minutes out of Shinjuku. Most express trains stop at Tobitakyu on match days.

May 12, Ajinomoto Stadium. See sports listings for details. www.fctokyo.co.jp/english

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