Osaka and Hyogo in Japan’s Kansai region will be at WTM London – the leading global event for the travel industry – to kick off their marketing push for major sporting events.

Highlights for Kansai include the 2021 World Masters Games – a sporting event for athletes aged 30 and older – and the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The Rugby World Cup in 2019 will be the Asia’s first Rugby World Cup and Kobe – the capital of Hyogo – will host some matches at the Kobe Misaki Stadium.

The World Masters Games in 2021 will also be the first time the tournament has been hosted in Asia.

Sports included will be archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, canoeing, cycling, hockey, football, squash, tennis, table tennis, golf, rugby, martial arts, sailing and swimming.

The events are likely to attract 20,000 overseas participants and 30,000 from Japan.

Host cities will include Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Kobe City.

Furthermore, the Olympic Games will be in Tokyo in 2020, so the world’s sporting attention will be on Japan over the coming years.

As well as major sporting events, Osaka and Hyogo will be highlighting access to their region via Kansai International Airport; the cultural experience and hot springs at Kinosaki Onsen; and the world heritage site at Himeji Castle.

Stand: AS940