Trophy Tour has spectacular stop in Japan

OKINAWA (Japan) – The Trophy Tour presented by J9 has made its way all over the country of Japan, one of the host nations of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

With Okinawa staging Group E (Australia, Germany, Finland and Japan) and Group F (Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia and Venezuela) action, fans are assured of riveting games.

The national team that wins the event will lift the Naismith Trophy, which has been on tour in the buildup to the World Cup.

In Japan, the first stop was on July 15 was Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido – Japan’s second largest island. Hokkaido is the largest and northernmost prefecture. Sapporo has a strong connection to international basketball. It staged World Cup games in 2006.

Trophy displayed by Statue of Dr. William S. Clark, founder of Hokkaido University, at Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill

In Sapporo, the trophy was photographed next to the famous statue of Dr. William S. Clark, the founder of Hokkaido University. The statue has his famous exhortation of “Boys, Be Ambitious” inscribed on it.

While at Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, the trophy was also photographed at Lavender Field, where 1,000 lavender plants are cultivated in a field of 1,200 square meters. The best time to see them is in July.

Lavender Field at Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill

Next in Sapporo was a Departure Ceremony (for the trophy) at the Atrium Terrace.

Around 500 people were in attendance and Sapporo TV covered the event which had as special guests Japanese Basketball Association (JBA) President Mitsuya Yuko, JBA secretary general Shinji Watanabe and Ryota Sakurai and Kouhei Sekino – two players from Japanese B. League side Levanga Hokkaido.

Departure Ceremony at Atrium Terrace

Following the ceremony, the trophy remained at the Atrium Terrace so fans (above) could see it and even have their photos taking with it.

Another stop on the Trophy Tour in Japan, Sendai, was a host city for games during the 2006 World Cup.

There it was snapped in front a statue of Date Masamune (above), which is near the remnants of the headquarters of the Date family (the Aobe Castle) in Sendai, overlooking the city he founded.

More than 300 fans saw the trophy at Morinohiroba Park (above), where the Molten Shooting Machine and Ring Toss were also set up. There was media coverage by KHB and Totugeki! NamaikiTV.

The following day, the trophy was taken to Niigata, and the iconic photoshoot took place at the Niigata City Museum of History, which is also known as Minatopia.

Built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Minatopia’s main building (above) adopted a modern Western design that is used by the second-generation, Niigata City Hall.

The President of the Niigata Basketball Association, Toshiaki Kuriyama (above), was on hand when the trophy arrived in his city.

The trophy went on display in Befco Bakauke Observatory (above). The appearance was covered by TeNY Evening Wide Niigata Ichiban and there was an interview with the President of the Niigata Basketball Association, Toshiaki Kuriyama.

Next on the Japan tour was the city of Toyama.

Old-fashioned streetcar and Toyama Castle

Also at the entrance of of Kitanihon Broadcasting (below), the trophy made an appearance on the KNB TV program Icchan★KNB.

Next stop was the city of Fukui, where residents and tourists alike go to the Fukui Station dinosaur plaza (below).

This is one of the most famous spots in Fukui Prefecture, which is home to Japan’s most prominent dinosaur fossil discovery site. Roughly 80 percent of all dinosaur fossils discovered nationwide have come from Fukui.

At Fukui Station, the trophy was on the local evening show (above) produced by Ojyamattere Wide & News (Fukui Broadcasting)

The Trophy Tour then arrived in Nagoya and had another TV appearance on the Dodesuka show – the daily morning show of the Nagoya Broadcasting Network.

Daisuke Yokoyama, a Japanese singer and actor, and Patrick Harlan, an American-born Japanese entertainer and comedian, were present.

Dodesuka show, Nagoya

The trophy was then taken to Nagoya Castle (below) to be photographed.

Nagoya Castle was completed in 1615 by the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Topped with golden shachihoko, votive tiger-fish roof devices, and boasting the largest floorspace of any tower keep, Nagoya Castle and its magnificent Hommaru Palace operated as a military facility.

Nagoya Castle was Japan’s first castle to be designated a National Treasure. Even after wartime air raid destruction, it was deemed historically important enough to be designated a National Historic Site.

Trophy on the set of Cartch – the local evening show of CHUKYO TV. BROADCASTING

The trophy then moved on to Osaka, where it made yet another appearance on television. It was on the a local morning show Sumatan, in the YOMIURI TELECASTING studio.

The special guest on the program to coincide with the trophy’s appearance was football star, Yoshito Okubo.

Trophy displayed before Osaka Castle

The trophy was then photographed at Osaka Castle, a landmark in Japan that was built in 1583 by the shogun, Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

Next stop for international basketball’s biggest prize was Tokyo and the television broascasting tower, Toyko Skytree (below).

This landmark has a height of 634m, making it the tallest structure in Japan and the third tallest building in the world after the Dubai skyscraper, Burj Khalifa, and the Warisan Merdeka Tower in Malaysia.

In Tokyo, fans were invited to see the trophy at the Coredo Muromachi Terrace (below).

And the trophy continued to be one of the best covered items in Japan because once it again, it appeared on TV.

This time, it was the Zoom in!!Saturday program at NTV (Nippon Television) studio, a nationwide morning show which is aired, as the name of the show indicates, on Saturdays. It also appeared on NTV’s Going! Sports&News.

Fans were then able to see the trophy at Jordan Shop World of Flight Shibuya – Japan’s first Jordan World of Flight store.

After leaving Tokyo, the trophy arrived in Kagawa Prefecture, it was displayed in front of Takamatsu Castle in Tamamo-cho, Takamatsu City.

Takamatsu Castle

One of the three major water castles, it faces the Seto Inland Sea. The name “Tamamo Castle” is said to have originated from the fact that the sea area around Takamatsu Castle was called Tamamo -no -ura.

While in Kagawa, the trophy appeared on the local daily TV show, RNC News Every Part 3

Next was Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park (below).

This vast park in the center of Hiroshima City was built near the hypocenter in the hope of lasting peace in the world.

The park includes the Atomic Bomb Dome, which is registered as a World Heritage Site, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which exhibits the state of Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing near the end of World War II, the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, and the Hiroshima International Conference Center.

Then at the Hiroshima Television studio (above), it hit the airwaves again on local evening show Terebiha part 2.

Next was the city of Fukuoka, and the Showa Sekisui Heim Arena in the city. There it it appeared on the TV show Mentai Wide, Asadesu.

The trophy appeared on the TV show Mentai Wide, Asadesu

Also in the city, the trophy was photographed in front of the Fukuoka Tower (above). A radio tower, it’s located in the Seaside Momochi district of Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The tower is 234 meters high.

Finally in Okinawa, the trophy arrived and was photographed beside the Countdown Clock (to the start of the World Cup) in Tenbusu Naha Plaza in Naha City.

Countdown Clock and Trophy

It was then taken to Revamp My Court in Okinawa City, where the Okinawa Arena is located.

Revamp My Court

Lastly, it was taken to AEON Mall Okinawa Rycom, where the trophy was displayed for fans. In addition to the trophy appearance, the Molten Shooting Machine and Ring Toss were set up.

Fans at AEON Mall Okinawa Rycom took photos with the trophy