Asia Cup hockey: For Japan, journey to Rajgir is also spiritual quest

Fujishima found that for more than half a century, pilgrims from Japan had been undertaking the long journey to this town, two hours from Patna, famous for its ancient ruins and Buddhist temples. And just like that, a sports tour became a spiritual journey for Fujishima and his teammates.

“We feel like we are at home,” says Fujishima.

It’s for the second year in a row that hockey teams and fans have descended upon Rajgir for a continental championship — in 2024, for the women’s Asian Champions Trophy; and this year, for the men’s Asia Cup, which concludes Sunday.

Rajgir might be an unlikely venue for international hockey. The closest international airports, Bodh Gaya and Patna, are at least two hours away. And the weather, hot and humid in the day with thunderstorms in the evening, may be punishing — players have lost up to 3 kg in a match, while some have taken ill.

And yet, the scenic venue — surrounded by hills, in the middle of lush green farmlands and away from the city hustle — has grown on the visitors. More so for the players from Japan, South Korea and China, who have found an additional motivation. “Hopefully, we will be able to visit the Buddhist temples here,” says China captain Chen Chongcong. “Maybe after we win the finals,” he adds cheekily.

In Rajgir, the players say it’s a “unique opportunity” for them to play at a place that’s “rooted in Buddhism”,

Japan, which will play for the fifth and sixth position, did not wait for the end of the tournament. On Friday, an off day for the teams, the players visited the Vishwa Shanti Stupa after their training session. The pristine white pagoda — built on the highest point of the Ratnagiri Hills — was built by Nichidatsu Fujii, a Japanese Buddhist Monk, as a symbol of peace.

The story goes that “Fujii Guruji”, as he is known here, constructed the pagoda after being inspired by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and as a reaction to the devastation of the Japanese atomic bombings.

Fujishima, the Japanese captain, says he isn’t a “religious person”. “But I have been taken in by the calm vibes of this place,” he adds.

It’s not the first time that visiting sportspersons have combined sports with spirituality. A decade ago, Dutch hockey player Seve van Ass — along with his father Paul, a former India coach — took time off during a tour to visit Varanasi, where he “learnt the meaning of life”.

In Rajgir, the players say it’s a “unique opportunity” for them to play at a place that’s “rooted in Buddhism”.

Ippei Fujimoto, a former Japan international who is now the team’s assistant coach, says he explained the spiritual significance of Rajgir to his players before they sat on the flight from Tokyo. “I even told them we can’t drink alcohol here,” laughs Fujimoto, who travelled here as assistant coach of the Japan women’s team last year.

There’s a Japanese temple a short walk away from the team’s hotel, a road named after the shrine, signage in the language, and a shop selling Japanese artefacts. Across the street, there’s another hotel that’s a fusion of Indian and Japanese cultures.

When they checked in, Fujishima says, the players were “surprised” to see a bunch of Japanese tourists staying at their hotel. And at the ground, the team had another surprise visitor — the chief monk of Vishwa Shanti Stupa, T Okonogi. “He has been living here for 50 years and he was surprised that a Japanese hockey team came here for an international tournament. He said he never imagined this would happen,” says Fujimoto, the assistant coach.