The Narita Cup, Japan's premier Australian Football event, is on again in 2005 and the AFL Japan are taking registrations from teams wanting to take on Japan in Japan.

The Robert Walters scholarship for young Japanese players provides Japanese lads with a well rounded football education. In addition to playing a season with Box Hill North, the scholarship winner spends his time improving his English and studying for AFL qualifications in coaching and umpiring.

This year\'s winner Hiroyuki Shiba, quit his job to concentrate on footy, and has just arrived in Australia to push himself along even further. This report courtesy of Troy Beard.

It is with great pleasure that Japan AFL, the Box Hill North Football Club and Robert Walters Japan announce this year\'s Robert Walters scholarship winner.

Hiroyuki Shiba, a talented 24 year old forward pocket player from the Go-Kong Football Club in the Japan AFL league will be taken under the wing of the Box Hill North Football Club in the VAFA.

The Japan AFL have just gratefully received a grant from the AFL to help continue the upward development of the past few years. Now with 13 teams and over 500 players nationwide, the Japanese league has made some great sides forward and the national side is eagerly awaiting the International Cup in August.

Australian Rules Football has taken its first tenuous steps towards gaining a foothold in the Philippines. The following article is by Derek Ackary ("Dezza"), President of the Philippines AFL. This is the story of how it all started and the very positive progress so far.

On 21st November, the Japan AFL Grand Final was held. In a repeat of the 2003 season finale, it was the Tokyo Goannas, the primarily expatriate Australian club, up against the University-based Samurai. The Uni boys provided most of the players who recently toured Australia (see previous stories), and have shown much improved form in 2004.

Players from AFL club Essendon will visit Japan for 10 days in December, as part of a pre-season trip aimed at developing their leadership group.

Several weeks ago the Tokyo Goannas (of the Japan AFL) and Box Hill North (from the Victorian Amateur Football Association) announced the winner of their 2004 scholarship. As in 2003, it allowed a player from BHN to travel to Japan for about three weeks, to train and play with the Samurais, a University based side. It helps further build on the links established between BHN and the Japanese league. The following is from the Tokyo Goannas website.

A dedicated group of footy faithfuls in the Kansai area of Japan are doing their bit to ensure footy in Japan is not just confined to Tokyo. Next Sunday a women's match, a kid's match and a men's 3-team tournament will take place in Osaka, highlighting the great developments that continue to be made footywise in the Kansai region, and in Japan as a whole.

Tokyo's new university league kicked off on September 26th, with a rookie-heavy Komazawa defeating the more highly-fancied Senshu.