From The Vaults

01 November 2025

Treasures of Japan by Hideki Shoji

Like those being treasured in many other countries, crafts also have been appreciated across Japan for hundreds of years. Ceramics, cloisonne, woodwork and metalwork, for example, with intricate craftsmanship cultivated throughout the generations, continue to be cherished by avid collectors, and are highly esteemed by connoisseurs of arts and crafts around the world.

One might find it surprising that Japanese rugby is closely related to the crafts, inseparable in their essence. This unique characteristic, which presumably originated from Japan's traditional gift-giving culture, has been instrumental in facilitating "rugby diplomacy", serving as a gesture of goodwill to international visitors.

Nippon Maple Leaf Cup

The first practice that exemplifies such relation was done when Canada toured Japan in 1932. The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) and a sponsoring organisation made a special arrangement for the visitors and presented them with craftwork as a memento of the tour.

Image: Nippon Maple Leaf Cup presented to Canadian team 1932. L to R: Stuart Thomson (photographer), Yasuyoshi Kawame (Manager of Canada tour 1930) and Bill Wharton.

Credit: City of Vancouver Archives, Reference code AM1535-: CVA 99-2714, Stuart Thomson, Colourised by Hideki Shoji (AI colourisation may not be 100% historically accurate)

An article published on 26 March 2024 by BC Rugby News describes the cup as follows:

"In order to commemorate Canada's first visit to Japan, Shinkichi Tamura, president of the Japan Canada Society, presented the Nippon Maple Leaf Cup to president Smith prior to the second international at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine Stadium. At that time the Cup was the most elaborate sports trophy ever made in Japan. Fashioned in Tsuiki cloisonné, an enamel art for which the Japanese were famous, the trophy was twenty-two inches high and mounted on a copper base. The design of the Japanese maple leaves and alpine flowers in bold, colored relief was secured to the cup hammered out of solid metal. The head of the Ando Shippoten (Cloisonne Company) of Owaricho, Tokyo, personally drew and painted the design and fashioned, fitted and polished the trophy at his factory."

Cloisonne Vase

The Japanese cloisonne enamelwares crossed the ocean down to the Southern Hemisphere as well, when New Zealand Universities (NZU) came to Japan in January 1936. During the tour, the visitors were presented with a cloisonne vase by a shipping magnate.

On 4 March 1937, a headline in The Evening Post read "A CERAMIC ART OF THE FAR EAST" and described the vase as follows:

"The vase, which rests on a carved wooden stand, is some 18 and a half inches high. The ground colour is black, relieved on two sides by floral designs exquisitely worked in natural colours. A pattern design picked out with gold surrounds the top and base and completes the piece."

Further research published in the Otago University Rugby Newsletter 2018 reveals that "it might look it, but it's not heavy. Best described as a paper mache weight."

Image: Cloisonne vase (created by Ando Cloisonne Co., Ltd.) presented to NZU 1936

Credit: The Evening Post, New Zealand, March 4, 1937

In addition to the cloisonne crafts, porcelain plates (11 inches in diameter) were also well-received by the NZU players. The fourth generation Yasushi Fukagawa, Executive Manager of FUKAGAWA-SEIJI CO., LTD. (est. 1894) gives testimony about its provenance:

"This special, decorative plate is thought to have been fired in one of our kilns by Chuji and Susumu Fukagawa, the first and the second generations. Mt. Fuji is drawn in the upper part using aerograph and spraying technique that was imported by Chuji Fukagawa after our porcelains had been awarded the Grand Prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition. The lower part shows two pine trees, painted by brush in cobalt blue pigment. These are considered to be a Japanese auspicious crest, which symbolizes evergreen prosperity of the two countries. Also the rim is decorated with chrysanthemums and vines, which are associated with the Imperial Family."

Porcelain Plate

As the photo shows, "PRESENTED BY JAPAN RUGBY UNION TO COMMEMORATED [sic] OF NEW-ZEALAND UNIVERSITIES TOUR IN JAPAN 1936" is inscribed on top in gold. The back of the plate bears a manufacturer's trademark (Mt. Fuji and flowing water), with "IMPERIAL PURVEYORS" exclusive to this plate, which has the definitive presence of its own.

Images: Porcelain plate presented to NZU 1936. Created by FUKAGAWA-SEIJI CO., LTD. and FUKAGAWA-SEIJI's company logo

Credit: Courtesy of Carl Wilson

"All Blacks", 1958

In February to March 1958, a mighty side from New Zealand - captained by legendary Wilson Whineray, and including the great rugby duo Colin Meads and Kelvin Tremain - played nine matches and overpowered all the opponents, scoring 326 points and only having 49 scored against them. The "All Blacks" (although the team were NZ Colts, the JRFU called them "All Blacks" for promotional reasons) were very popular, and reportedly, wherever the team went, the players were surrounded by a jostling crowd of excited fans asking for autographs.

Image: The "All Blacks" players signing autographs for pupils. Kelvin Tremain (centre) and possibly Wilson Whineray (right).

Credit: Hideki Shoji Collection

Tablecloth

In this tour Japanese tablecloths made a great present to the NZ Colts team. With wine red colour serving as the background, the design consists of rich ornate patterns, interspersed with smaller geometric elements beautifully complemented in gold, cream, and hints of deep blue, which showcases master craftsmanship at every corner. What is the most striking on this tablecloth is that a black silk cloth is sewn on the back, and a player's name in between silver fern and sakura, together with "1958" and "THE JAPAN RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION" are beautifully embroidered.

Photos: Japanese tablecloth presented to Kelvin Tremain and black silk cloth sewn on the back of the tablecloth.

Credit: Courtesy of Tremain family

Communicating via emails with a family member of one of the touring party, I was so delighted to know that the tablecloth has since been treasured and cherished by the family for nearly 70 years, which inspired me to think the craft is not just a souvenir from Japan. To the family, it has been an irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind memento, which evokes precious memories of the beloved one, and it always keeps alive a pleasant sense of warmth that makes the family's heart smile.

The JRFU will mark its 100th anniversary next year. Since its foundation in 1926, Japan have grown to such an extent where, albeit occasionally, they hold their own against the powerhouse nations by which they have been heavily defeated in the past. Behind the scenes of hard-fought battles that have been waged for nearly a century, the Japanese crafts have long fostered and forged rugby fraternity between the nations. At the same time these mementos have been playing a part as a pleasant reminder of a happy nostalgia and a strong [HS1] bond of the family.

Sources:

BC Rugby News, March 26, 2024
The Evening Post (New Zealand), March 4, 1937
Otago University Rugby Newsletter 2018 (Issue Number: Unknown)

Acknowledgements:

I should like to thank the following for information and images about the Japanese crafts introduced in this article and for helping me to understand them:

H. Kato, Ando Cloisonne Co., Ltd.
Yasushi Fukagawa and Naomi Yamasaki, FUKAGAWA-SEIJI CO., LTD.
Carl Wilson
Tremain family

About the Author - Hideki Shoji is a local government official in Tsuruoka city. He is a collector of rugby memorabilia and researcher on the history of Japanese rugby. He plays wing/fullback at Harbor Blacks, a local club in Sakata city.

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