Now is as good a time as any to let you guys in on a common saying of mine. When I say that “Japan Happened,” I’m referring to that special brand of over-the-top fun and absurdity that it seems only the land of the rising sun is able to produce. If you’re unfamiliar with this sort of aesthetic, a quick glance at certain animes and Japanese game shows should be more than enough to fill you in.

Japan's defeat ended a run of six straight World Cup victories. There were just eight points scored in the first half of this match, the fewest in a game at this year's World Cup. Schedule of all Rugby World Cup 2019 matches taking place in Japan.

This week, everyone’s buzzing about Japan World Cup 3. Is it a game? It is a movie? Is it a cultural phenomenon? Whatever it is, it’s definitely a prime example of Japan Happened.

Japan World Cup Game Buy

As I understand it, Japan World Cup 3 is a browser game in which the player doesn’t play as the ‘horses’ (we’re stretching the definition of ‘horse’ a bit here) so much as they bet on the races and root for their chosen competitor. All of the races are pre-rendered animations, and the player has no indication of which race will run when they make their bet, reducing it all to a game of chance. Does that make it any less fun? Not when these are the types of races you end up watching.

Incidentally, the race cut scenes have been released on DVD — which is just as well for shmoes like me that can’t access the game’s site due to bandwidth limits.

The interesting thing about Japan World Cup 3 is that (based on the video, anyway) the joy of the game does not come from its actual gameplay. Watching the race is what the player really wants, and in my opinion, that’s where the gameplay ought to be.

The first time I ever saw this video, I didn’t realize that the players didn’t control the racers, and it made me immediately want to play it. The revelation that it’s really just watching a movie with a bit of interface at the beginning was a big disappointment, and it made me revel on how I’d construct the game had I been able. If this game were to be rearranged into an unconventional fighting game, it could potentially skyrocket into a very popular position in the console gaming realm. Imagine if this game were designed to work more in the vein of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and the players were able to choose their contestant and duke it out mid-race in whatever ridiculous manner they desired. This would redirect the core gameplay to a balance between getting the jockeys ahead and attacking competitors at opportune moments. Not only would it give the game a wider variety of outcomes (since nothing would have to be predetermined), it’d also put the focus on the gameplay — where it rightfully should be in a video game.

If I had the resources, I’d waste no time in contacting the game devs responsible for this glorious spectacle and see if I could work out a deal on bringing the game to the console fighting market, but as I’m now a broke college grad that’s still scraping together loan payments, I can only hope that a major publisher with enough sense to realize what a gold mine this game could be might have the same idea. If this game ever hit the market, I for one would definitely buy it; hell, I might even buy a console specifically TO play it if it got released on one I didn’t have.

Oh well. I can always dream — that is, if I’m not already hallucinating that this game exists in the first place. After watching that video, I’m still not completely sure that’s reality and what’s fantasy.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup is being staged in France (Getty Images)

Rugby World Cup Fixtures

The 2023 Rugby World Cup runs from Friday 8 September to Saturday 28 October, with games played across France.

South Africa will be looking to defend their title after they defeated England 32-12 in the 2019 final in Japan. Eddie Jones will want to avenge that result and claim the trophy before he bows out as England’s boss but hosts France and three-time winners New Zealand will fancy their chances too.

While Japan will be looking to cause yet another World Cup upset after beating South Africa in 2015 as well as Ireland and Scotland in 2019.

Rugby World Cup 2023 Fixtures

POOL A – New Zealand, France, Italy, Americas 1, Africa 1

Fri 8 Sep Francev New Zealand (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sat 9 Sep ItalyvAfrica 1 (Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne)

Thu 14 Sep France v Americas 1 (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)

Fri 15 Sep New Zealand v Africa 1 (Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse)

Wed 20 Sep Italy v Americas 1 (Stade de Nice, Nice)

Thu 21 Sep France v Africa 1 (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Wed 27 Sep Americas 1 v Africa 1 (Parc OL, Lyon)

Fri 29 Sep New Zealand v Italy (Parc OL, Lyon)

Thu 5 Oct New Zealand v Americas 1 (Parc OL, Lyon)

Fri 6 Oct France v Italy (Parc OL, Lyon)

POOL B – South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Asia/Pacific 1, Europe 2

Sat 9 Sep Ireland v Europe 2 (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Sun 10 Sep South Africa v Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Sat 16 Sep Ireland v Asia/Pacific 1 (Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes)

Sun 17 Sep South Africa v Europe 2 (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Sat 23 Sep South Africa v Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sun 24 Sep Scotland v Asia/Pacific 1 (Stade de Nice, Nice)

Sat 30 Sep Scotland v Europe 2 (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)

Sun 1 Oct South Africa v Asia/Pacific 1 (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Sat 7 Oct Ireland v Scotland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sun 8 Oct Asia/Pacific 1 v Europe 2 (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)

POOL C – Wales, Australia, Fiji, Europe 1, Final qualification winner

Sat 9 Sep Australia v Europe 1 (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sun 10 Sep Wales v Fiji (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Sat 16 Sep Wales v Final qualification winner (Stade de Nice, Nice)

Sun 17 Sep Australia v Fiji (Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne)

Sat 23 Sep Europe 1 v Final qualification winner (Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse)

Sun 24 Sep Wales v Australia (Parc OL, Lyon)

Sat 30 Sep Fiji v Europe 1 (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Sun 1 Oct Australia v Final qualification winner (Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne)

Sat 7 Oct Wales v Europe 1 (Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes)

Sun 8 Oct Fiji v Final qualification winner (Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse)

POOL D – England, Japan, Argentina, Oceania 1, Americas 2

Sat 9 Sept England v Argentina (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Sun 10 Sep Japan v Americas 2 (Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse)

Sat 16 Sep Oceania 1 v Americas 2 (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Sun 17 Sep England v Japan (Stade de Nice, Nice)

Fri 22 Sep Argentina v Oceania 1 (Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne)

Sat 23 Sep England v Americas 2 (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)

Thu 28 Sep Japan v Oceania 1 (Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse)

World Cup Winners List

Sat 30 Sep Argentina v Americas 2 (Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes)

Sat 7 Oct England v Oceania 1 (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)

Sun 8 Oct Japan v Argentina (Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes)

Quarter-finals

Sat 14 Oct Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Sat 14 Oct Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sun 15 Oct Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Sun 15 Oct Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Semi-finals

Fri 20 Oct Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 2 (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sat 21 Oct Winner Quarter-final 3 v Winner Quarter-final 4 (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Third-place match

Fri 27 Oct Third-place Play-off (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Final

Sat 28 Oct Final (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Rugby World Cup 2019 Results

POOL A

Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa

Fri 20 Sep Japan 30-10 Russia (Tokyo) Match report

Sun 22 Sep Ireland 27-3 Scotland (Yokohama) Match Report

Tue 24 Sep Russia 9-34 Samoa (Kumagaya) Match Report

Sat 28 Sep Japan 19-12 Ireland (Shizuoka) Match Report

Mon 30 Sep Scotland 34-0 Samoa (Kobe), Match Report

Thu 3 Oct Ireland 35-0 Russia (Kobe), Match Report

Japan World Cup Game Dancing Horse

Sat 5 Oct Japan 38-19 Samoa (Toyota) Match Report

Wed 9 Oct Scotland 61-0 Russia (Shizuoka) Match Report

Sat 12 Oct Ireland 47-5 Samoa (Fukuoka) Match Report

Sun 13 Oct Japan 28-21 Scotland (Yokohama) Match Report

POOL B

New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Namibia, Canada

Sat 21 Sep New Zealand 23-13 South Africa (Yokohama) Match report

Sun 22 Sep Italy 47-22 Namibia (Osaka) Match Report

Thu 26 Sept Italy 48-7 Canada (Fukuoka) Match report

Sat 28 Sep South Africa 57-3 Namibia (Toyota) Match report

Wed 2 Oct New Zealand 63-0 Canada (Oita) Match Report

Fri 4 Oct South Africa 49-3 Italy (Shizuoka) Match Report

Sun 6 Oct New Zealand 71-9 Namibia (Tokyo) Match report

Tue 8 Oct South Africa 66-7 Canada (Kobe), Match Report

Sat 12 Oct New Zealand 0-0 Italy (Toyota), Match cancelled – click here for story

Sun 13 Oct Namibia 0-0 Canada (Kamaishi), Match cancelled – click here for story

POOL C

England, France, Argentina, USA, Tonga

Sat 21 Sep France 23-21 Argentina (Tokyo) Match report

Sun 22 Sep England 35-3 Tonga (Sapporo) Match report

Japan World Cup 3

Thu 26 Sep England 45-7 USA (Kobe) Match Report

Sat 28 Sep Argentina 28-12 Tonga (Osaka), Match Report

Wed 2 Oct France 33-9 USA (Fukuoka), Match Report

Sat 5 Oct England 39-10 Argentina (Tokyo) Match Report

Sun 6 Oct France 23-21 Tonga (Kumamoto) Match report

Wed 9 Oct Argentina 47-17 USA (Kumagaya) Match Report

Sat 12 Oct England 0-0 France (Yokohama), Match cancelled – click here for story

Sun 13 Oct USA 19-31 Tonga (Osaka) Match report

POOL D

Australia, Wales, Georgia, Fiji, Uruguay

Sat 21 Sep Australia 39-21 Fiji (Sapporo) Match report

Mon 23 Sep Wales 43-14 Georgia (Toyota) Match report

Wed 25 SepFiji 27-30 Uruguay (Kamaishi) Match report

Sun 29 Sep Georgia 33-7 Uruguay (Kumagaya) Match Report

Sun 29 Sep Australia 25-29 Wales (Tokyo) Match report

Thu 3 Oct Georgia 10-45 Fiji (Osaka), Match Report

Sat 5 Oct Australia 45-10 Uruguay (Oita) Match report

Wed 9 Oct Wales 29-17 Fiji (Oita) Match Report

Fri 11 Oct Australia 27-8 Georgia (Shizuoka) Match Report

Sun 13 Oct Wales 35-13 Uruguay (Kumamoto) Match Report

KNOCKOUT STAGES

Sat 19 Oct QF1 England 40-16 Australia (Oita) Match Report

Sat 19 Oct QF2 New Zealand 46-14 Ireland (Tokyo) Match Report

Sun 20 Oct QF3 Wales 20-19 France (Oita) Match Report

Sun 20 Oct QF4 Japan 3-26 South Africa (Tokyo) Match Report

Sat 26 Oct England 19-7 New Zealand (Yokohama) Match Report

Sun 27 Oct Wales 16-19 South Africa (Yokohama) Match Report

Fri 1 Nov Third-place Play-off New Zealand 40-17 Wales (Tokyo) Match Report

Sat 2 Nov RWC 2019 Final England 12-32 South Africa (Yokohama) Match Report

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Japan World Cup Horse Game

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