Volume 04, Number 12
American Football World Cup.
By Victoria Hall
Thought that American Football was an American man's game? Apparently the Japanese aren't too bad at it either! Japan became World Champions in the first American Football World Cup in the summer of 1999 in Palermo (Italy). Four years later they defended the title in Frankfurt, Germany and this year Japan hosts the little known competition from 7–15 July in Kawasaki.
From the 21 countries that participated in the qualifying rounds, only six countries made it through to the final tournament: Japan, Sweden, France, Germany, Korea and USA.
This will be the first time for the USA to join the competition, and while you may not get to see the likes of Brett Favre and Jason Campbell—they are restricted from taking part in the competition for contractual reasons—it may be a good way to see the potential stars of tomorrow play live on your doorstep.
The line-up is as follows:
Group 1
Japan vs. France. Jul. 7, 6:10pm. Todoroki Stadium, Kawasaki.
France vs. Sweden. Jul. 10, 3pm. Kawasaki Stadium.
Sweden vs. Japan. Jul. 12, 7pm. Kawasaki Stadium.
Group 2
Germany vs. South Korea. Jul. 8, 5pm. Kawasaki Stadium.
United States vs. South Korea. Jul. 10, 7pm Kawasaki Stadium.
Germany vs. United States. Jul. 12, 3pm. Kawasaki Stadium.
Fifth-place Playoff
July 14, 3pm. Kawasaki Stadium.
Third-place Playoff
July 14, 7pm. Kawasaki Stadium.
Final
July 15, 3:10pm. Todoroki Stadium, Kawasaki.
For more information on the competition and the American football scene in Japan see:
www.americanfootball.jp
http://wc2007.info/teams
www.ifaf.info/
Tel: 044-200-0062 for tickets
Hockey team to watch.
By Danielle Tate-Stratton
It's no secret that Canadians love hockey—it's often nicknamed our 'national religion' for a reason, and most of us happily consider the Hockey Night in Canada theme song as our second national anthem.
Luckily, for anyone who wants to either play hockey in Tokyo, or head to the rink and support the local team, there is the Tokyo Canadians Hockey Club, with members from across Canada, the US, and Japan.
A fairly serious team, the Canadians compete annually in tournaments from Thailand to Las Vegas, and have even tried their puck-handling skills in Mongolia! The team also supports charities such as the YMCA through regular events like charity tournaments and fundraising parties, which also support charities like Father Joe Maier's Human Development Center in Bangkok, Thailand. To learn more or to get involved, visit www.tokyocanadians.com, or email their info hotline at skimoto27@hotmail.com.
Want to be part of a hockey team in Tokyo?
By Victoria Hall
Contrary to popular belief there are a number of hockey teams in and around Tokyo that are looking for new members—so why not participate in your favorite sport from home. Here are a couple of teams in the Tokyo area who are actively seeking new players.
The Misconduct Bambies
Yoriko Ichinomiya heads up the ice/inline hockey team Misconduct Bambies, and is looking for more players to join the team. Any level, nationality, male or female—if you are a hockey nut like Yoriko, she wants to hear from you! Email her at y.ichinomiya@misconduct-hockey.co.jp for more information.
Ice practice takes place in Jingu every second and fourth Tuesday at 10pm with inline hockey practice on Saturday evenings. While the information on the website is predominantly in Japanese, Yoriko can answer any questions and give further information in English. www.misconduct-hockey.co.jp
Tokyo Hockey Club
The Tokyo Hockey Club play street hockey—without the rollerblades—in Komazawa Koen every Sunday. Japanese and foreigners of all skill levels are welcome, however you must have your own equipment to play.
Generally an email is sent out at the beginning to establish who is available to play the coming weekend. If there are enough participants a game is scheduled. See www.tokyohockey.com for more details.
Don't have cable TV? Want to enjoy the game with friends and a few beers? Check out these places to watch televised live games from home, in Tokyo:
Baseball Café
Inside the Tokyo Dome complex, covers baseball games.
1-3 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku,
Tel. 03-3817-6262
www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e
Clubhouse
Big screens with sound—a rarity in Japan. Covers all major sporting events from around the globe.
Marunaka Building 3F
Shinjuku 3-7-3
Tel. 03-3359-7785
www.clubhouse-tokyo.com
Footnik
Covers all soccer games both national and international teams.
Asahi Bldg. 1F
1-11-2 Ebisu
Tel. 03-5795-0144
www.footnik.net/english
Tokyo Sports Café
Numerous screens covering sports from all over the globe.
Fusion Bldg. 2F
7-13-8 Roppongi
Tel. 03-5411-8939
www.tokyo-sportscafe.com
Legends Sports Bar
Sports bar and grill covering mostly American sports; MLB, NBA, NHL etc.
Aoba Roppongi Bldg 1F,
3-16-33 Roppongi
Tel. 03-3589-3304
www.legendsports.jp
Paddy Foleys
Live coverage of mostly rugby, cricket and soccer games.
Roa Building B1
5-5-1 Roppongi
Tel. 03-3423-2250
www.paddyfoleystokyo.com