Another Korean player will also join INAC next season: Hong Hye-ji (홍혜지) , who was a DF in the U20 national team at the recent U20WWC. She plays for Koryo University (고려 대학교) in Seoul.
Not that I now that much about faith in Japan without a extensive study and providing sources but the Portuguese braught the religion to Japan in the 16th (?) century. Some of the warlords - and also their subjects - converted during the civil war. Their side, however lost and they catholic priests were subsequently removed. The faith stayed. Kobe has been - still is - an important port in Japan and those places tent to have a higher population of foreigners that were allowed - with restrictions of course - to keep their cultural habits as there was an advantage to keep them around and happy. A japanese friend of mine went to a christian school in Kyoto when she grew up.
Interesting. There hasn't been any news regarding this in the Korean media. Actually Kobe doesn't have much to do with Christianity in Japan at all. You are probably thinking of Nagasaki, which was opened to foreigners in the 16th century, and so the island of Kyushu became the home of Japanese Christianity. After the Catholics got outlawed, most of the believers went back to their old religions, but some isolated communities on Kyushu continued to worship in secret, which developed into different mystic sects, which still exist though it's vanishing quickly. Most of the churches in Japan were built in the 20th century or afterwards. There is a film being released at the end of this month called Silence directed by Scorsese. It's about the persecution of Catholics in Japan in the 16th and 17th century. Anyway, apologies for derailing the thread.
INAC's announcement (in Japanese) is here (http://inac-kobe.com/news/1994), although it doesn't give any other information than what I wrote. This thread barely has any rails to run on.. Yes, I heard about that film -- apparently it had its premiere at the Vatican last month (although it's not been reported what the pope thought of it). A very long movie (something like 2hrs 40min), it's had a fairly good reception so far. I believe it's based on the book Chinmoku (沈黙) by Endō Shūsaku. (There is also an older Japanese film version, from 1971, of the same book, directed by Shinoda Masahiro -- that one I have seen). The fate of Catholics during and after the civil war (which ran c. 1470 – c. 1603, and ended with the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate) has also been the direct or indirect subject of countless Japanese television dramas, the latest of which is currently airing (actually almost finished): "Sanada Maru" (真田丸). Another excellent one was "Gō" (江〜姫たちの戦国), which covered basically the same period. There are many streaming sites where you can watch sub-titled versions of these TV dramas.
People in Japan usually have no principles. Believers in Buddhism or atheists think Christmas is a special day.
I admit that Kobe was a guess based on being a port. But yes, I had heard about the staus of Nagasaki but forgot about it.
It's almost a ritual. To think that it's a tradition to have KFC on Christmas day in Japan... Kobe is a big city with over a million people. I'm sure you could find a church in the city. From news reports, the pope was happy with the film. Not to mention the fact that the current pope is of the Jesuit order just like the characters in the film.
Too many young players joining INAC I guess some of them will be included in the U19 squad in October, getting zero playing time till then won't help... Do you guys remember Giovania, the Brazilian who used to play for Vegalta? I was surprised to find out she has ended up playing for Okinawa (Ryukyu Deigos -Vicsale Okinawa FC Nabiita highlights)
Also FIFA's Technical Study Group has published its report on the U17 WWC. They don't go into much detail in their technical/tactical analysis but there is some interesting stuff anyway. (apparently Ueki is a 'striker with strong finishing ability' )
Good news for Nadeshiko and for many other fair play teams: FIFA Club World Cup - Kashima Antlers vs. Atletico Nacional "A historic spot-kick was awarded when VARs (Video Assistant Referees) were used to assist referee Viktor Kassai with a match-changing decision for the first time in a FIFA competition. Kashima were awarded a penalty when Daigo Nishi was adjudged to have been brought down inside the area and Doi made no mistake from the spot, firing Kashima in front." Next year VARs gonna be further tested in leagues of Brazil, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and USA. Final decision about it will be made by 2019. I expect VARs will have huge positive impact for the teams like Nadeshiko. Finally, no more rugby tackles, shirt pulling and hand grabs - especially in PK's - like the ones for example that were done by USWNT team during Olympics final in London and WWC in Canada.
Not sure if anyone's interested, but there are two videos (1st and 2nd half) with the full match played by Yukari Kinga last week-end, when her Canberra United defeated W-League leaders of Melbourne City. Apparently Yukari got back to her youth, since, despite giving her #2, Canberra play her not as a Full Back, but as a Right-Side Midfielder.
Sorry, guys. Apparently this wasn't the right game: I now see that it had been played on 12th of November (probably first Kinga's match with Canberra) and it was actually a loss. I didn't think Canberra could have played twice already vs Melbourne City in those few W-League games. Anyway, I gave a look at 2nd half. Kinga actually didn't play at the right-wing at all: she was a Central Midfielder instead. And she had a quite excellent game, if you ask me, with some precious drives from one side of the pitch to the other that were cutting apart Melbourne's defense. Commentators appreciated her a lot and she seems fit and well-playing indeed. I hope she gets better and better in her new team. By the way, she plays alongside another acquaintance of Japanese football (although quite recent): Ashleigh Sykes, who scored 7 goals in Nadeshiko League Division 2 this season with AS Harima Albion.
Tomorrow's games: Empress's Cup quarterfinals Beleza vs Jef 11:00 Albi vs Nagano 16:00 Vegalta vs Nojima 19:00 Urawa vs Inac 14:00
Today's result: Beleza (Uetsuji) 1-0 Jef Albi (Ohishi, Sayama) 2-0 Nagano Vegalta (Hamada, Kitahara) 2-0 Nojima Urawa 0-1 Inac (Michigami 120+3)
Wow, just a split-second before Penalty shootout! I wonder if INAC can make it to win it all again, as they did last year, of if Beleza is quite unbeatable this season. Meanwhile, I have to notice that probably Full Bloom Guidebook, the website created by our good old friend an_turtar, is gone for good. Not only it's not been updated since the end of October, but it looks like the relative Twitter account doesn't exist anymore. It was an awesome source for everything Nadeshiko League-related: we are all going to miss it!
Semis (Dec 23): Albi - Beleza Vegalta - INAC (Same as last year..) Last 10' + goals: Nakamura and Sakaguchi had an excellent game