Chapecoense hopes to seek inspiration from a nation that knows pain firsthand as the tragic Brazilian club faces Urawa Reds in Tuesday's Suruga Bank Championship.
More than eight months after a plane crash killed all but three of its players, Chapecoense has arrived in Japan for the annual midsummer one-off pitting the J. League Cup holders and the Copa Sudamericana champions.
The three survivors of November's crash, that occurred as Chapecoense made its way to Colombia to play Atletico Nacional in the Copa Sudamericana final, have not made the trip for the game at Saitama Stadium. One of the three, defender Alan Ruschel, marked his return to the pitch only last week in a tribute match against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.