My guide on the day of the game told me that Kyoto looks down on sport and football; its 'too important' to be associated with such a game. Nevertheless, the club still acts as a focal point for local football supporters who congregate at the crumbling and drab Nishiyoguko Stadium every home league game to support the men in purple.

Kyoto Sanga v Jubilo Iwate

April 27th 2009

Kyoto Nishiyogoku Athletic Stadium

As I step onto the Hankyu Kyoto Main line Metro train thefootball fans start to appear. Its not Ujpest Dozsa and nor is it the viola of Fiorentina. Instead its Kyoto Sanga and I am on my way to the Nishi Kyogoku Station from central Kyoto. As we arrive it looks like I am the only foreigner in and around the ground but that does not stop local Sanga fans introducing themselves to me 'Please to meet you sir!' says one supporter. Another says 'I am very proud of my team'. I quickly purchase a Kyoto Sanga scarf and my guide gets the tickets.

Inside the stadium its like being back in Europe as hot dogs fry over hot spits and fans queue up for pints of beer. Except there is one change with Octopus also being sold; fried on a hot plate and then tipped onto a plastic white dish. Inside its raining, dark and miserable; whilst the track and field athletics track that surrounds the ground does little to help the ambiance.

Then the Kyoto Ultras get started with a succession of chants in the usual Japanese South American style. Above me an older woman around 60 years screams Kyoto at the top of her voice and holds up a home made banner with Japanese characters on it.

Across to the left is a banner 'Real Naked' which my guide for the evening tells me is a group of fans who appear at games with the top half off and bare chested. Jubilo have a fan base of around 100 at the game but it does not stop them singing throughout non stop. There is though no abusive chants, largely only supportive rhythmic singing and chanting.

At half time we hear that there is only an attendance of 6,300 inside a ground that has the capacity to hold 20,000. Then we get onto talking about Kyoto Sanga and tonight's opponents Jubilo. The reference to Sanga in the team name is apparently a Buddhist word meaning 'group' or 'club'. With a tradition of beautiful Buddhist temples all around the city this is where the referencing comes in. Originally the club were called Kyoto Purple Sanga, with the purple of course being the club colours.

Jubilo Iwate are originally the Yahama corporation's football team and its most famous player is possibly Dunga the Brazil captain and now national coach who once played for the side. Today, the number one Japanese national team goalkeeper plays for them Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi but he does not impress my guide 'He once played in England and never learned English....' remarks my guide for the evening.

Kyoto Sanga eventually conceded five goals in this game and with the final whistle yet to blow it was time for me to rush back to the main train station and catch the super fast Shinkansen back to Hiroshima. Just as I step out of the stadium a Kyoto fan asks me 'you look for train station...?' and after saying yes, he tells me that he will walk me to the metro station. As the train pulls in and I step on a person I have only just met shouts 'I am so glad you came to see my team' and waves me goodbye and a 'good voyage'. And that was that, the moral of the story being that there are very few places in Europe where home fans wave you goodbye and wish you a 'safe trip' after his team has just conceded five goals at home.