Daisan High School Founded a Rugby Team

According to “The History of Daisan High School Rugby Football Team”, this high school had its origin as the Chemical Institute opened in Osaka on 1 May 1869 and it was closed on 31 March 1950 due to the educational reform that took place after Japan's defeat in the World War II. The abolition of this school also brought an end to the glorious 80-year history of Daisan High School, encompassing the 40-year history of this school's rugby team.
Referring to this book, let's trace back the history about how this school's rugby team was born. “Susumu Majima, a member of Keio University Rugby Football Club, brought a rugby ball with him to the boarding house of Ukichi Horie of Daisan High School who had affinal ties with Majima. They started to play with this rugby ball on the premises of a shrine nearby, Shimogamo-jinja Shrine. In the spring vacation of 1911, through the consideration of Kumazo Tanabe, the captain of Keio University Rugby Football Club, the following three players were dispatched as coaches: Susumu Majima (FW), Teiichi Sugimoto (HB), and Kunimatsu Majima (TB).”
A small monument, which is inscribed “The Land of First Kick”, was built at the west end of Tadasu no Mori within the premises of Shimogamo-jinja Shrine by the volunteers consisting of the ex-members of the Third Senior High School Rugby Club, which currently no longer exists.
The back side of this monument says: “Here in September 1910 Ukichi Horie, Aisuke Nakamura, Tatsuo Soma, and Joho Tamaki, who were students at Daisan High School, kicked the rugby ball for the first time in Japan. This kick brought about the birth of Daisan High School Rugby Team, starting the glorious history of Japanese rugby.”
Enthusiastic activities to disseminate rugby as a sport in Japan developed by these parties centered on Kumazo Tanabe of Keio University bore much fruit, leading to the birth of a strong rugby team for an old-education-system high school in Kyoto.