It is often said that the future of a nation lies with its youth. If that is also true of sport, then Gunma could soon end up being the Barbados of Asia, producing cricketers on a par with the great Caribbean production line.
The Gunma International SportSpeaks Club has been instrumental in introducing the sport to the kids of Gunma, and with Richard Laidler -- a former professional cricketer from Melbourne, Australia -- at the helm, there are hopes Japan will be able to send a team to the Under-15 World Cup in Melbourne in 2004.
"Our main aim is to get junior cricket going," said Laidler, who grew up playing alongside the likes of Merv Hughes and Dean Jones and spent time touring Australia coaching fast bowlers alongside Aussie legend Dennis Lillee.