The Japanese come to Lens

Having arrived in FRANCE two days ago, forty representatives from Fukuroi (a town between Osaka and Tokyo), one of the ten towns hosting the 2002 World Cup in JAPAN, visited the LENS site installations on Thursday.

Led by Mr Takashi Okunoyama, a member of the district assembly of the province of Shizuoka and president of the Fukuroi Sporting Association, the Japanese delegation took a great interest in the LENS arrangements.

The population of LENS being close to that of Fukuroi (58 000 inhabitants), it is vital that future organisers of the 2002 World Cup pick up some tips in FRANCE.

“We have been completely won over by the town decorations. LENS seems to us to be the best example from which to learn and to observe a number of important aspects which will help us to get started on our own plans,” said Mr Okunoyama. “Fundamentally, we will bring our Japanese know-how to the task, but we also need to examine certain practical details to launch us on our own enterprise.

District councillors, representatives of the hotel industry, club presidents and journalists have also been impressed. “We will soon start work on construction of a fifty thousand seat stadium, but we mustn’t forget that there is still a huge amount to be done before D-day,” explained Mr Okunoyama.

In order to get an initial idea of the vast organisational demands of a project of this nature, the Asian delegation was also present at the opening match between BRAZIL and SCOTLAND at the Stade de France at SAINT DENIS. On Sunday 14 June in TOULOUSE, the Fukuroi delegates fully intend to take their places among the supporters at the match between JAPAN and ARGENTINA!