THERE is a strong appreciation of detail and proportion in Japanese culture, as well as a deep sense of tradition, and thankfully they were reflected in the 2019 World Cup opening ceremony in the Tokyo Stadium on Friday.
Instead of the overblown marketing hype from acolytes of World Rugby about the millions of new converts to the game anticipated following the ground-breaking decision to hold Rugby Union’s global showpiece in Asia for the first time – including predictions of over 110 million new fans and almost two million new players – we had a Japanese signature at the ...