By Rich Freeman, KYODO NEWS - Jul 27, 2019 - 15:05 | Sports, Rugby2019, All

Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium welcomed the world Saturday as it joined the list of rugby grounds to host a test match.

But this stadium is unlike any other, having been built on the grounds of two schools destroyed by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit on March 11, 2011, decimating much of Japan's northeastern coastline and the towns built on it.

By the end of October, the ground will have tripled its number of international games, as it hosts two matches at the Rugby World Cup. Saturday's game between Japan and Fiji was a chance for organizers to have a test run.

"It is an honor to be invited here and play the first test here, knowing what happened," said Fiji coach John McKee, whose side will return to Kamaishi on Sept. 25 to play Uruguay.

For rugby fans from all over the world, it was an emotional day, particularly for those with ties to the area.

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(Kazuo Tanaka (L) and Valerie Marra)

"I run an NGO project to support people here and in other areas affected by the disaster," said 72-year-old Kazuo Tanaka, who made a day trip from Tokyo to attend the game.

An avid rugby fan, Tanaka said he had visited Kamaishi several times since the tsunami struck and remembers standing on the site formerly occupied by the schools.

"There was nothing here," he said. "Coming here to watch this game has made me so emotional."

Fijian Valerie Marra, 50, was in Kamaishi "following my fabulous Fijian team."

"It's amazing to see such a sad event turned into something that is both remembrance and a happy occasion. It's great seeing how people have come together for this," she said.

Fans used the newly restored railway and shuttle buses to reach the ground at Unosumai, where there are constant reminders of the 2011 tragedy.

Just under a kilometer away, above what on Saturday looked an idyllic place to swim, is a memorial to those that died, with a message imploring people to "Just run. Run uphill...And tell future generations that a tsunami reached this point."

Before the game, there were several test announcements informing people what to do if an earthquake strikes and signs dot the area directing the way to evacuation points in the wooded hills overlooking the ground.

Despite the tragic past, there were only smiles on the faces of fans prior to kickoff, as to many of them the game was, to use a phrase more commonly associated with English football, "coming home."

Formerly home to the Nippon Steel side that won seven straight national championships from 1979 to 1985, Kamaishi is a rugby town.

Locals stop visitors on the street to ask if they are here for the rugby, and having the stadium host this string of games was as much a reward for their resilience as it was their love for the oval ball and those who play with it.

Hours before kickoff, the ground was full of red and white with the Brave Blossoms' new World Cup shirt a favorite for many.

Not that they had a total monopoly, with some Japanese fans who professed to "loving the Fiji style of rugby" wearing the famous white jersey of the Pacific islanders, who will be based in Akita prior to the World Cup.

There may be issues about the legacy of #RWC2019 but one thing that will never be in doubt -



Japanese #rugby fans and the general public here will be unbelievable hosts



Here’s how they are preparing for tomorrow’s game vs #Fiji@rugbyunited @happyeggshaped pic.twitter.com/272lh5GK3f — Rich Freeman (@FreemanrugbyJPN) July 26, 2019

Despite early reports of long lines at security checkpoints and for beer, visitors got a warm welcome. A group of local fans had even spent the week practicing the Fijian national anthem which would have delighted RWC organizers as it sets the stage for what they are saying will be a "once in a lifetime event."

Rugby fans in Kamaishi will be hoping, however, that this type of event occurs rather more often.