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History: On the 160th anniversary of the first ever game of cricket in Japan in 1863….

August 9, 2023

HOW THE FIRST ‘LOST’ GAME OF CRICKET IN YOKOHAMA WAS REDISCOVERED IN 2012

(and the remarkable events that ensued from the discovery)

Words: Mike Galbraith

Chance discovery

I call this cricket match the first ‘lost’ cricket match because it was not mentioned in any previous histories of this period which is mainly due to the fact that no English language Yokohama newspapers had survived from the time the game was played. It had somehow disappeared in the ether of history. I came across it purely by chance while researching a story for YC&AC’s magazine Connect about the cricket matches played in Yokohama in 1881 by I. D. Walker who was one of the most famous cricketers of his day. A Google search of his name turned up a lengthy obituary in a database of obituaries relating to well-known cricketers on the website of Wisden, the publisher of annual records on the sport called the Wisden Almanac. After I had finished acquiring information from I. D. Walker’s obituary, I decided, before leaving the obituaries database section, to do a simple search using the word ‘Japan.’ To my astonishment, the following showed up in the list of Wisden obituaries for the year 1911:

“ADMIRAL SIR HARRY HOLDSWORTH RAWSON, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., died on November 3rd, aged 66. He played in the first match which ever took place in Japan, being a member of the Fleet team which beat Yokohama in 1863. Whilst Governor of New South Wales (1902-1907) he showed his interest in the game by becoming the Patron of the New South Wales Cricket Association.”

My reaction was .. Wasn’t the first game of cricket played in Japan played in 1864? I checked the works relating to this period written by the most prolific historian on Japan – the last Sir Hugh Cortazzi – and found that he states clearly that the first ever cricket match in Japan was played in 1864. Searching for information about Rawson, I quickly found and acquired a copy of his biography. I was disappointed to find that the cricket match was not mentioned in the text but there was a photo of a cricket team with the following caption: ‘Naval side in the first cricket match played in Japan. The ground was guarded by troops and the players had arms handy.’

Shortly after, I was asked to give a short talk about any aspect of YC&AC’s cricket history, at a dinner being held at the Club after a match between the YC&AC and a team arranged by the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) . Eddie Jones, who played for the YC&AC that day was present as was Alex Naoki Miyaji, the president of the JCA. In the talk I explained the few facts I had discovered and showed the one photograph I had found in the Rawson biography.

1908 article and original 1863 photos located

I was keen to find out more about this game and the people who played it. From my research about those early cricketers and other sportsmen in 19th century Japan, I knew one useful potential source of information is always the School Registers of famous schools. I was able to find more information about that first cricket match in Yokohama in the Harrow School Register which stated that James Campbell Fraser ‘captained the Yokohama side in a cricket match (Yokohama vs the Fleet) played in curious circumstances at Yokohama in 1863 (see Cricket April 16th 1908)’ and thus offered a clue as to where to look next for more information. However, searches of the internet for this issue of the Cricket magazine turned up nothing and even the British Library couldn’t help me.

James Campbell FRASER – information about man who employed J. P. Mollison led to biggest discoveries

Charles Lenox RICHARDSON – Fraser’s photo is the only one of him alive

After some weeks of fruitless searching for the above-mentioned Cricket magazine article, I decided to directly ask the chief editor of Wisden, and when I called, she rather quickly told me that there should be copies of that 1908 issue in the libraries at two of England’s most famous cricket grounds: Lord’s in London and Trent Bridge in Nottingham. I called Lord’s and within about 20 minutes I had received by email a copy of the article mentioned in the Harrow School Register. The article contained smallish photos of both teams and the names of all the players together with an explanation of the background. The end of the article it was stated that the article was based on documents sent to Lords by Fraser along with photographs of the two teams.

One might easily guess that I was soon on the phone again to the lady in Lord’s library. I asked her if she had seen the original photos of the two teams. She replied that she hadn’t and that the library had just started cataloging all the items in its memorabilia collection. She said it would take two years and suggested I contact the library in two years time. As she was putting the phone down I said “Wait a minute. Couldn’t you just have a quick look round the memorabilia room? You might see it, especially if you look at the photos in the article you just sent me.’ Somewhat reluctantly she said she would give it a go.’ About 15 minutes later, she emailed me her photo of the Shore team photo included the mount which contained the names of the players. Her Shore team photo included. When I visited Lords the following year, I discovered there was a similar photo and mount of the Navy team.

Shore team in first ever cricket match in Japan

The actual date and scores are unknown but it is known that the navy team won despite the fact that the Shore Team was led by a player who often played in England against and many England’s national team players. The match is also remarkable for being perhaps the only cricket match in cricket history in which many of the cricketers were carrying pistols despite the fact the ground was ringed by Royal Marines from the ships. Fraser’s account in the magazine stated that the wicketkeeper put his pistol on the ground just behind the stumps before every over. In addition, he mentioned that all the Japanese residents of Yokohama had fled at around this time and so we guessed the game might have been played on or around June 20th.

Navy team in first ever cricket match in Japan

150th anniversary celebrations of ‘lost’ first ever cricket match including national team tour to UK

The next thing that happened was that, realising that the next year (2013) would be the 150th anniversary of the game in 1863 and thinking about whether we could celebrate the anniversary. I telephoned the JCA president Alex Miyaji and informed him. To my surprise Mr. Miyajji, whose mother is Scottish, immediately started organising a cricket tour by the national team to the UK together with his contacts there. One of the highlights of the tour was a match played at Lord’s, the home of the MCC which was founded in 1787. The Japan team played against an MCC team at Lord’s, the home of cricket, for the first time in history although, in fact, the match was not played on the main ground there but on the secondary ground called the Nursery ground. Having said that a reasonable crowd, including Japan’s ambassador to the UK and several senior figures in London’s Japanese community and friends, watched the game.

On a separate note, I had the crazy idea of issuing a challenge to the UK’s Royal Navy via the British Ambassador in Tokyo and found the JCA’s Miyaji-san willing to give it a try. I wrote out a daft ‘To Who It May Concern Letter’ containing the challenge and Miyaji-san put it on the JCA letterhead and signed it and I passed it to the Ambassador who said he would send it to an appropriate person in the UK.

A few months passed without any response and so, working with fellow sports historian Alex Hendy, we planned a 150th anniversary cricket match with the British Embassy team at the Club followed by a dinner in the Gymnasium in June 2013. We even planned a mock attack by ronin (masterless samurai) during the game. It was at this event that one of the British Embassy staff smiled and informed me that the Royal Navy wanted to take up the challenge but that for security reasons, the actual date of the match had to be kept secret until the last minute.

2013 was nearing its end when news came from the Embassy that HMS Daring would arrive in early-December. Exchanging emails with the event coordinator on the warship not only wanted a cricket match but also a rugby match and even a ladies hockey match. But then near disaster struck – as the ship set sail from Singapore a huge typhoon hit the Philippines and HMS Daring was diverted to render assistance. This almost ended the plan but HMS Daring belatedly tied up at Harumi and I went aboard the ship to meet them and escort the cricket team by coach to the YC&AC. I was surprised by just how many of their players emerged from their accommodation with cricket gear. There was no time for the rugby and ladies hockey matches but the cricket match against the ‘shore team’ including YC&AC players took place.

HMS Daring provided the Navy Team in 2013 and also the Royal Marine Band

The Shore team won easily thanks to the bowling of British Embassy cricketing stalwart Keith Franklin but the high points of the day were the music performances by the section of the Royal Marines Band (RMB) that accompanied the cricket team. They played the national anthems of both Britain and Japan before the match and played marches while parading backwards and and forwards behind the swimming pool. Finally at the dinner in Mollison’s, they gave an amazing rendition of Rod Stewart’s ‘We are sailing!’ Long term YC&AC member David Cooper remarked it was the greatest event he had experienced in his decades of being a YC&AC member. The scenes of a naval band playing, invoked memories of the ‘old days’ when it was very common for a ship’s band to play when their cricket team played in Yokohama Park. You can find three video clips of the RMB performances at the YC&AC by searching YouTube with the words “Yokohama Royal Marines Band YC&AC.”

Screenshots from three video clips on YouTube

This year is another big anniversary – the 160th – of that first match and again there is talk about a possible game involving the Royal Navy and if it happens the Club will only learn of it shortly before it takes place for security. Regardless of whether a Royal Navy XI comes and plays cricket, there is no reason why the Club can’t arrange some kind of celebration.

GALBRAITH’S LATEST DISCOVERIES REGARDING CRICKET MATCHES (AND RUGBY) IN 1863 AND THEIR DATES WILL BE REVEALED IN THE UPCOMING YOKOHAMA HISTORY SOCIETY (YHS) TALK “1863: New light on events in Yokohama and Bombardment of Kagoshima” AT 7 PM AUGUST 17th AT THE YC&AC