Where to Watch Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan

Best places to watch Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan from sports bars to Fanzones

All the rugby and sports fans all over the world are looking forward to Rugby World Cup 2019, which will be held in Japan from 20th September to 2nd November, 2019. Rugby World Cup 2019 is the first Rugby World Cup to be hosted in Japan and even Asia. 20 selected national teams compete through total 48 matches all over Japan from the north Hokkaido to the south Oita, of course including the capital Tokyo.

▽For travelers visiting Japan for Rugby World Cup 2019, here are best things to do in the host cities!▽

Things to Do in Host Cities during Rugby World Cup 2019: Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, etc

Then, where will you watch the exciting games of Rugby World Cup 2019? Travel all the way to Japan to watch them or stay at home watching them on TV? Today, I’d like to introduce best places to watch Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan. There are lots of places to enjoy watching the games of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan even though you don’t have a game ticket.

▽Let’s look back the highlights of Rugby World Cup 2015!!▽

1. Rugby Stadium

Rugby World Cup Limited © 2007–2019.

It is the best without any question to watch the world-class competitive rugby matches in the stadium, right? There are 12 rugby stadiums to hold the Rugby World Cup’s games all around Japan. Some venues are located in popular tourist areas such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Hokkaido, Osaka, Kobe and Fukuoka, and others are less touristy areas. However, each area has unique attractions you cannot see or enjoy except Japan including delicious Japanese food, rich nature, Onsen, traditional culture and so on. If you have the chance to get the tickets, it is recommended to go to even far distant stadiums from the cities and enjoy traveling around the venue.

2. Sports Bar

©️2018 7oaths

You may wonder where to watch the games of Rugby World Cup 2019 in the case you don’t have the game ticket. Of course, the island country offers various spots to enjoy the matches without it. A sport bar is one of the most popular places to watch the rugby games outside the venues in Japan. For those who are not familiar with rugby so much, watching the games at the sport bar is an enjoyable experience since they can have an interaction with international people who are from various countries and get excited together. Especially, there are a large number of sports bars in Tokyo. Even if you stay only in Tokyo, you can watch the games held all over Japan on the wide screens of the bar.

▽Here are best sports bar in Tokyo perfect for watching Rugby World Cup 2019!▽

3. Fanzone

Rugby World Cup Limited © 2007–2019.

During the season of Rugby World Cup 2019, nice watching spots named Fanzones are set in the host prefectures all over Japan. Fanzones offer gigantic live-viewing screens, rugby-themed attractions, food and drinks and regional attractions. Everyone can access to Fanzones for free, which is the one and only chance to enjoy watching the quadrennial competition in Japan with rugby fans from all over the world.

This is the list of Fanzones:

Sapporo

Sapporo Odori Park: Odori Nishi 2, Chuo-ku, Sapporo city, Hokkaido

Sapporo Station South Plaza: Nishi 4 , Kita5, Chuo-ku, Sapporo city, Hokkaido

Kamaishi (Iwate Prefecture)

Kamaishi Civic Hall: 1–1,Omachi,Kamaishi city, Iwate

Kumagaya (Saitama Prefecture)

Community Space: 2–62 Hon-cho, Kumagaya city, Saitama

Tokyo

Tokyo Sports Square: 3–8–3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Chofu Station Square & Chofu City Green Hall: 2–47–1 Kojimacho, Chofu city, Tokyo

Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Rinko Park: 1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama city, Kanagawa

Shizuoka Prefecture

Sumpu Castle Park: 1–1 Sumpujokoen, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka city, Shizuoka

Soramo & Entetsu Hall: 320–1 Sunayama-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka

Toyota (Aichi Prefecture)

Sky Hall Toyota: 1–20 Hachiman-cho, Toyota city, Aichi

Higashi-Osaka (Osaka Prefecture)

Tenshiba, Tennoji Park: 5–55 Chausuyama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka City, Osaka

Hanazono Chuo Kouen Baseball Stadium: 1–1–43 Matsubara Minami, Higashiosaka City, Osaka

Kobe (Hyogo Prefecture)

Meriken Park: 2–2 Hatobacho, Chuo-ku, Kobe city, Hyogo

Fukuoka Prefecture

JR Hakata Station Square: 1–1 Hakata-eki chuou-gai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka

Kumamoto Prefecture

Hanabata Square & Symbol Promenade: 7 Hanabata-cho, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto

Oita Prefecture

Oita Ikoi no Michi Square: 1–1000–16 Higashiomichi, Oita City, Oita

4. TV & Online

Of course, Rugby World Cup games are for all of rugby fans in the world. You can enjoy watching the games on TV outside Japan and on live streaming services online for those without TV.

This is the list of the TVs holding the broadcast right of the Rugby World Cup 2019:

Japan: IGBS (Nippon TV, NHK, and J SPORTS)
United States: NBCUniversal (NBC Sports)
United Kingdom: ITV
New Zealand: Spark New Zealand
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland: eir Sport
France: TF1

Finally, Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan is just around the corner, and how are you going to enjoy the tournament? For more info about Rugby World Cup 2019, check this out!!

If you have a plan to travel to Japan for watching the games of Rugby World Cup 2019, check these articles below for the latest info about things to do and places to visit in Japan to make your perfect itinerary!

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I'm writing by my motto: helping travelers spend their limited time experiencing something priceless in Japan. My articles won't let you down! Living in Tokyo and traveling many popular and hidden sites all over Japan, I deliver well-selected and latest tourist information to you from the perspective of “100% Japanese local”. My specific interests are island hopping, eating countless bowls of ramen, watching anime and reading manga. Enjoy Japan Web Magazine for recommended food spots, hidden gems Japanese Otaku (geek) culture, and everything about Japan :)