The 27-year-old, who has 23 caps for the Brave Blossoms, has not had much downtime in recent months between his club obligations as understudy to global icon Antoine Dupont, and his commitments with Eddie Jones' Japan.
He was still playing in mid-October before joining the national team for their Autumn campaign. Despite three defeats – 19-64 against New Zealand, 52-12 against France, 59-14 against England – the Brave Blossoms overcame Uruguay 36-20 in Chambéry despite suffering a red card.
Naoto Saito started all three games in November, scoring half the points against England and picking up a yellow card against Uruguay. But it was undoubtedly the two games played in France that left him with unforgettable memories, against Les Bleus at the Stade de France on November 9, then against Uruguay at the more modest Chambéry Savoie stadium a week later.
Strong links between Stade Toulousain and Japan
Joining Toulouse back in July, Saito played seven of the first ten fixtures of the Top 14, including two as a starter, in a league that is broadcast in Japan. "When we play here at 9 p.m., it's 4 a.m. in Japan and people are watching," the 5'5", 75 kg scrum-half said in an exclusive interview on the club's YouTube channel.
Naoto grew up in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, and had ample experience before moving to France: 59 appearances for Tokyo Sungoliath (now the home of Cheslin Kolbe and soon Sam Cane), and six before that in the colours of the Sunwolves.
His first visit to Toulouse was in 2022, during the Autumn Nations Series, for a match against France. His second visit was during the 2023 Rugby World Cup where Japan had set up their base camp in 'La Ville Rose' (The Pink City) for a month.
"I was very impressed by the facilities. My motivation to sign here was obvious: Stade Toulousain is for me the best club in the world," he says. He spoke to one of his compatriots, hooker Takeshi Hino, who in 2019 became the first Japanese player to be recruited by the club (ironically, as a World Cup 'medical joker' for Peato Mauvaka, who had left for Japan).
Three games later, he returned to Japan, but Hino had blazed a trail which would be taken three-quarter Kakeru Okumura (25 years old) then by Saito, thanks to a solid partnership between Toulouse and the Shizuoka Blue Revs.
A culture shock
"From the perspective of the differences between France and Japan, here everyone seems very calm and always relaxed<" observes Saito. "I feel like we always have a good time. The French live their daily lives peacefully, compared to Japan, and enjoy life.
“One time, I remember, I had an appointment with the physiotherapist. I was a little late. So I ran to get there on time and I arrived barely a minute after the scheduled time. When I arrived, the physiotherapist told me that I didn’t need to hurry like that,” he smiles.
"I felt the cultural difference because in Japan you arrive 5-10 minutes early when you go somewhere. But in reality, it's not that difficult to adapt to this new culture."
Except maybe on one aspect: driving. Because in Japan they drive on the other side of the road to France, with the steering wheel also on the opposite side. “It was pretty scary at first,” Saito laughs. “And one thing I’m not used to yet is parallel parking and parking from the front. I’m still struggling a bit, so I’ll keep practising.”
The fans' fervour
On the other hand, when it comes to rugby, the man Eddie Jones sees as the future captain of the Brave Blossoms, immediately fit into the mould of the Toulousains - with some notable differences, first on the field.
"The rugby impresses me. Here we play while having fun, we take pleasure and it's fun," he says. His first job with the team was to remember his teammates’ nicknames, which served to break the ice. Even though he’s starting to learn French, Saito doesn’t speak it yet and has his teammates explain everything to him in English. Again, a tool that's helped to create a bond.
"What struck me in training is that I feel like there's a lot of 15-on-15 play, like in a match. There's also a lot of training on passes after contact, how to use them, how to think about them. It's not something I was used to working on in Japan."
The other difference is the relationship with the fans, who are ultra passionate about their club.
"There are lots of fans in Japan but, but the atmosphere is completely different. The public watches very calmly. So it was something new and I really felt so lucky to play in this friendly and warm atmosphere."
