Little Osaka in London

Where were this lot when we needed them?

By Megan Lane BBC News Online

For British-based fans seeking a slice of the action in Japan, an early-opening sushi bar screening the England game seemed like a great find. I said seemed.

If Mohamed won't come to the mountain... That was the spirit in which I chose to watch England's crucial tournament tie with Nigeria in a sushi bar in London.

Osaka may be 12,000 miles away and eight hours ahead, but for 90 minutes at least I was planning to shake off that early morning feeling by lapping up some Japanese-style World Cup hospitality in a corner of the capital.

I should have stayed in bed.

Crossing cultures: England supporters in Osaka

Like scores of fellow England fans, I had set my alarm to an ungodly hour for the 0730BST kick-off and prayed I wouldn't oversleep.

I headed for the sushi bar stocked with giant TV screens, breakfast bento boxes - that's fish, rice and miso soup for the first meal of the day - and a karaoke system. Surely someone would end up belting out a few England songs?

In the drizzle-dampened streets, the anticipation was palpable. Men who looked like they would never normally break a sweat sprinted towards the nearest pub on the promise of plasma TV screens and slap-up feeds.

Poor reception

When I arrived at my venue of choice, alarm bells immediately started to ring. The gathering crowd (and I use the term charitably) fell well short of the swarms that staff had clearly expected. From outside, the cavernous bar looked to be closed.

Inside, all was not well either. As kick-off loomed, a handful of early-risers peered up at the tiny tellies dotted around the bar, waiting with bated breath for the big screen to flicker into life.

It was just a bit too early in the day for beer and screaming colleagues

It didn't look good. Embarrassed staff jabbed anxiously at the remote control to no avail - let down at the last minute by a crucial component, it was the technological equivalent of breaking a metatarsal bone.

With just moments to go before the opening whistle, a few early-risers cut their losses and left. That left barely a handful of bleary-eyed fans to generate an atmosphere. You could rule out a Mexican wave.

Not like this in Japan...

It was shaping up to be a distinctly un-Japanese experience.

The loneliness of a near-empty bar

The hi-tech telly didn't work. I was still waiting in vain for someone to take my drinks order. And there was no sign of the fish-'n'-rice breakfast - although to be honest, that came as something of a relief.

Just as we had resigned ourselves to cricked necks from squinting up at the small screens, the faulty projector made a miraculous recovery just in time for the interval. My "Hurrah!" came back as a cold echo.

It dawned on me this was also a distinctly un-English experience. Unlike last Friday's England v Argentina grudge match, which I had watched in a packed and rowdy bar, I could actually hear the commentary.

No-one was spilling their pint on my foot and there was no chance of me slopping my complimentary coffee - a peace offering following the TV debacle - over anything but an empty table.

Just wait until Saturday against Denmark

On the other hand, it was probably a bit too early in the day for beer and screaming colleagues.

So my search for a little bit of Japan in the UK proved to be a damp squib, a bit like the game itself. Even after the match, as fans hustled off to work, the mood seemed to be one of relief rather than excitement.

Perhaps a last-minute ticket to Osaka would have been a better bet.

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Where's the best place for World Cup watching - and has the atmosphere lived up to your expectations? Let us know using the form below.

Not Alberta, Canada - with kick-off times of 0030, 0230 or 0530, there are rather a lot of bleary eyed ex-patriot football fans trying to live life as normal while trying to keep up with events in Japan and South Korea.
Tony Foote, Canada

Watched the first half at home feeding breakfast to the kids. Pinched the wife's scooter and whizzed to work during half-time. Fired up my computer and watched the second half with my new TV/video card with bosses watching over my shoulder. Great fun (the scooter I mean). Match wasn't bad either.
Andi P, UK

The best place has to be the stadium just opposite my flat in Osaka.
Juchi, Japan

Spitalfield market in London. Brilliant atmosphere, loads of people, and you can get a serious bacon sarnie.
Mel, UK

At work with a colleague whose dearly beloved Scotland didn't qualify. So far he has supported Sweden, Argentina and Nigera.
David, England

I suggest you find a French restaurant - I don't think the French will be using those plasma screens for the rest of the tournament.
Terry Henry, UK

Any pub with good beer, good company, good TV reception and England winning!
Fiona Butler, England

The best place to watch the World Cup also happens to be the best place to do anything. An Irish pub.
Brian, USA

Pub, home, mate's house, work, garden, the toilet, anywhere as long as I can see the TV for the full 90 minutes.
Barry, UK

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