Samurai Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo said Monday that this week's games against Europe are important for both his players and as a reminder of the disaster that struck the Tohoku region four years ago.
"It's only March, but this autumn we're going to have the Premier 12, and we want to make the most of having the national team assembled and build toward that," Kokubo told a press conference at Chiba's QVC Marine Field.
The teams will play two games at Tokyo Dome starting on Tuesday, with Wednesday's game taking place on the fourth anniversary of the Tohoku disaster.