The first rugby football championships tournament was held in 1918 and hosted by Osaka Mainichi Newspaper Co., Ltd. At that time, soccer was also called "football". So the two kinds of football were distinguished by calling soccer "A-style" and rugby "Ra-style."
The term "rugby" was officially used from the 9th tournament in 1926 and region-based preliminary rounds were also adopted from the same year.

Keijo Teacher's School accomplished three consecutive wins including the 13th tournament. They took the champion's flag back to the Korean peninsula - at the time a Japanese overseas territory - for the first time.
At the final match in the 17th tournament between Anzan (Manchuria) and Taipei First (Taiwan) schools, both of them won the championship - a remarkable event in rugby history.
Rugby as a sport survived the turbulent postwar period and the Hanazono Stadium subsequently hosted the annual National High School Rugby Tournament since 1963 (the 42nd tournament) until the present day. It is fair to say that the history of Japanese rugby was primarily driven by high school rugby.

Article about "The 1st Japan Football Championships Tournament"
It was called "football" because there were few rugby teams at the time so it was being held as a joint event with soccer teams (association back then). Doshisha University, (Kyoto's) Third High School, Kyoto Municipal First School of Commerce, and Keio University (retired) participated in the tournament. The result was a victory for Doshisha University.

The 60th champions, Fushimi Kogyo High School
An emotional HC Yamaguchi surrounded by the excited fifteen

An article about the rules of rugby

An article about the semifinal matches during the 11th tournament
The article reported about the stand spectators, characteristics of each team, and the highlights of the matches.

The History of Rugby

1917 - 1927

1918

The First Japan Rugby Football Championships, the forerunner of the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament and the National High School Rugby Tournament, was organized by the Mainichi Newspaper Co., Ltd., resulting in the victory of Doshisha University over the Third High School, Kyoto Municipal First School of Commerce, and Keio University. Waseda University RFC (Rugby Football Club) was founded.

1919

The Japanese use of the word "football" was changed from the 2nd Tournament onwards.

1920

From the 3rd Tournament, the championship was divided into two categories; 'universities and high schools', and 'junior high schools'.

1925

The junior high school category became independent.
The Western Rugby Association was established.
The first overseas tour by Keio University included matches played in Shanghai, China.

1926

From the 9th Tournament, the soccer and rugby tournaments were renamed "the National Junior High School Soccer Tournament" and "the National Junior High School Rugby Football Tournament," respectively, and included qualifying rounds.
December 2
The Japan Rugby Football Association was established.
December 25
All matches were cancelled due to the Emperor Taisho's demise.

1927

Doshisha University played an away match in Manchuria.
Waseda University played an away match in Australia.
Meiji University played an away match in Shanghai, China.