From fancy dress to floral displays, this host city has it all
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Rugby World Cup 2019 Travel Guide: Kakegawa
SEE
At the Kakegawa Kachouen Park you can interact with a wide variety of birds – the vast majority are not caged so you can even get involved in feeding them – and take in the sights and smells of the flower displays. It’s perfect if you want a relaxing morning before the rugby kicks off.
DO
Want to dress up before the match? You can rent a Ninja costume and have your photo taken with Kakegawa Castle as a backdrop – that would definitely be one for the album! And take the time to check out the castle, too, for it has a lot of historical relevance.
Cheers! Local beer
EAT
Okay, these are more drinking than eating options! Try Kakegawa craft beer, which is made from local ingredients and can be found in three bars within a five-minute walk from the station – Bucket Here & Corner, Funny Farm and Sakanamachi Food Bar SAL.
If you prefer to sup on something non-alcoholic, don’t miss the chance to try Fukamushi Kakegawa Green Tea, which has a great reputation in Japan.
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WORLD CUP VISIT
There’s an awesome foursome of matches being played at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa – Japan v Ireland on 28 September, South Africa v Italy on 4 October, Scotland v Russia on 9 October and Australia v Georgia on 11 October. So if you’re in town for the rugby, explore Kakegawa.
Related: Rugby World Cup venues
Awesome: Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa hosts four games at the tournament
GETTING THERE
You can get the bullet train to Kakegawa City from Tokyo (one hour 45 minutes) and Kyoto (one hour 55 minutes).
DID YOU KNOW?
Kaiun Sake, which is produced by Kakegawa’s Doi Brewery, was awarded the Ginjo Trophy and three silver medals in the sake section of the 2017 International Wine Challenge.
TOP TIP
There are plans to run a shuttle bus between Kakegawa Station and the stadium, with a journey time of around 15 minutes, so that will make getting to the ground nice and easy.