Tokyo (AFP)

Ecstatic fans, sometimes in tears, found themselves everywhere in Tokyo to celebrate Japan's victory against Scotland (28-21) at the Rugby World Cup, synonymous with qualifying for the quarter-finals for the first time in its history. history.

The "Brave Blossoms" (the nickname of Japan's XV) have capsized Japanese fans of baseball and have brought a certain balm to the heart as the country laments at least 26 dead in a devastating typhoon.

Hachiko crossroads, or "Shibuya Crossing", known as the busiest in the world, was blocked by a group of Japanese fans while one of the fanzones in central Tokyo was full of anxious fans before match seen as a historic rendezvous, almost unimaginable before the World Cup.

At the final whistle, the fanzone roared with happiness shouting "arigato" (thank you) in unison.

"They wrote history," said Masato Shimada, a 21-year-old student who also plays rugby. "Four victories, one place," he added before explaining that the Brave Blossoms World Cup had changed the look on rugby among his friends.

"I think their two consecutive victories have brought some hope to people," he concluded, referring to the consequences of Typhoon Hagibis.

"After watching the previous three games, I was sure they would get there today," Yukari Takemoto said in the fanzone. For this 38-year-old Japanese, the match also lifted her spirits after a horrible 24 hours.

- "English, not Scottish" -

Before the match, 67,000 spectators at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama religiously observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of Typhoon Hagibis, in an emotional atmosphere.

The crowd was overwhelmingly made up of Japanese fans dressed in red and white, with some Scottish fans wearing kilts, some even playing bagpipes.

The emotion at the end of the match even brought some fans to tears, overwhelmed by this historic event for Japanese rugby.

Brave Blossoms captain Michael Leitch drew the cheers of the crowd when he addressed fans at the stadium in Japanese, and in English, saying Sunday's match "was more than a match for them".

The third-line wing thanked the people who prepared the Yokohama stadium for this match, only 24 hours after the typhoon passed through this city near Tokyo.

"And for all those who are suffering right now with the typhoon, this match was for you," he added with loud applause.

Some Scottish fans preferred to relativize after the meeting: "It was a fantastic atmosphere," said Bill King, a 55-year-old Scotsman before adding: "This is a very disappointing result for us, but not surprising, just disappointing".

© 2019 AFP