Team Japan in Wadena to play in Sask. Curling Tour bonspiel

The town of Wadena is playing host to some international curlers this weekend.

The current Japanese men’s champions – skip Riku Yanagisawa, third Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, second Takeru Yamamoto and lead Satoshi Koizumi – are to participate in the RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty Tour Spiel in Wadena from Friday to Sunday.

“Their coach, Bob Ursel, called about a month ago and asked if there was a spot in the ‘spiel. We were full and I actually gave up my spot just because I knew it would be great for the event to have a team like that come, so Japan got into the event that way,” said Scott Comfort, who is also a part of the hosting committee.

“As it turned out, a team backed out so we got back into the event and because I haven’t been playing on the Tour lately, I don’t have any points so I’m ranked 16th and they are ranked first so I get to play them the first game.”

The Japanese rink, which is based out of Karuizawa in the Nagano Prefecture, has already been in the province for a week. The team members have been enjoying their time in the prairies – even getting a chance to visit a buffalo farm.

“They had a blast. They had never seen really buffalo that close before,” Comfort said. “They sent me a picture that was way closer than I would ever get to a buffalo. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy it and it’s lots of memories for them.”

Ursel, who has been working with the Japanese curling program for six years and with this rink for the past two seasons, said the Japanese players have enjoyed their time in Canada.

“They absolutely love Canada,” said Ursel, who won’t be at the event this weekend. “I talked to them last week and I said, ‘You guys must be looking forward to getting home.’ They’ve spent 105 days in a hotel room and they looked at me and said, ‘Nope, we love it here. We will stay. If we could stay longer we would.’

“They absolutely love Canada and love curling over here. I’m a little envious and wish I was there.”

Ursel said the team had originally wanted to try and qualify for the WFG Masters Grand Slam of Curling event that was taking place in Saskatoon from Tuesday to Sunday, but when that didn’t come to fruition, the Japanese squad asked about participating in the bonspiel in Wadena.

“They are just four fantastic human beings,” Ursel said. “They are super, super nice and polite guys and they know how to curl. It’s been fun working with them. I expect them to do quite well in Wadena and I know they are very much looking forward to it.”

This year’s bonspiel will feature many top teams from the province, including Team Knapp, which represented Saskatchewan at the 2023 Brier.

Comfort said Wadena is used to hosting high-end curlers throughout the years with teams from Scotland and China, as well as playing host to Team Dunstone a few years back.

Comfort said this event is one the town enjoys having every year.

“It fills our community, fills our Airbnbs and any hotels and fills the restaurants for the weekend and everyone comes out and it turns into quite the event,” he said. “Everyone from the community supports it very well and there’s quite a few people that come out to the thing.

“The best things is when we get to see all the junior curlers and the elementary school kids come out and watch during the Friday games. It will be quite the atmosphere for everyone to see and it will hopefully inspire a few more curlers to come out. We have a great junior program as it is but hopefully this lights the fire under it a little bit more.”

The event is free for spectators and runs from Friday until the championship game at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Yanagisawa Japanese curling rink will participate in a Saskatchewan Curling Tour bonspiel in Wadena. (Bob Ursel/Submitted)