Ibusuki City has hung a banner celebrating France's decision to make camp there outside the city hall. (Ibusuki City) LESS THAN THREE MONTHS TO GO: Local Areas Prepare to Welcome World Cup Teams March 22, 2002 Less than three months remain until the beginning of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. A team workshop was held in Tokyo at the end of February and was attended by about 700 people, including the coaches and other representatives of the 32 national teams that will take part in the tournament. The national teams have decided where they will make their "base camps" before and during the tournament, and teams are beginning in earnest their final preparations for the first World Cup of the twenty-first century. Heated Workshop The workshop was held in Tokyo on February 27 and 28. Coaches and other team representatives hashed out plans for security, transport, and procedures for the World Cup. FIFA President Joseph Blatter opened the conference by saying that he hoped the teams would play excellent soccer during the tournament. At a press conference for Japanese reporters squeezed between some of the meetings, Blatter emphasized the significance of having Japan and South Korea co-host the World Cup, saying, "With two countries co-hosting the Cup, the cost will be twice as much. But the merits, such as promoting cultural exchanges between Japan and South Korea, are huge." Alcohol Sales Limited to Beer A number of issues were resolved during the meeting. Sales of alcohol in stadiums will be limited to beer, and customers will only be allowed to purchase one cup at a time. Each team will be provided with its own police detail. Teams were originally required to provide a preliminary roster of 35 players by May 1, but this requirement has been dropped. Teams must turn in their final rosters of 23 players on May 21. And, following the same pattern as the Olympics, the antidoping regime will not be limited to urine tests but will allow testers to test an athlete's blood as well. The coaches of the national teams were kept busy collecting information and answering questions from the media. The coaches of Belgium and Tunisia, two of the teams that will play Japan in the first round, found themselves on the receiving end of many questions and requests for interviews. Twenty-Three Nations to Make Camp in Japan While they were in Japan for the workshop, the coaches also surveyed the sites at which matches will be played and the areas where they will make their base camps. Of the 32 teams participating in the tournament, some 23 have decided to make camp in Japan, including seven teams that will play their first-round matches in South Korea, such as Denmark, Senegal, Uruguay, and defending champion France, which will stay in Kagoshima Prefecture's Ibusuki City. Many local governments across Japan have high hopes that they will receive some sort of economic benefits from having a team stay in their city. While some have pointed out that the competition was somewhat intense, it has resulted in a greater number of teams staying in Japan.   Your Name What did you think of this article? It was interesting. It was boring. Send this article to a friend Trends in Japan Home Making Camp in a Village of 1,300 Many of the teams that will make camp in Japan will be staying in some rather interesting locations. Cameroon's base camp is in Nakatsue (site is Japanese only), Oita Prefecture, a village that has just over 1,300 people, mainly employed in forestry, and only one set of traffic lights. The very fact that there is nothing in Nakatsue besides nature was the village's selling point. Cameroon was taken with the idea of being able to practice in seclusion, free from noise and other distractions. There are, of course, both a nice grass soccer field and a proper place for the team to stay. In order to prepare for the arrival of the team, many of the locals are working hard to learn French. England will stay in Tsuna (site is Japanese only), which is located on Hyogo Prefecture's Awaji Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will be the only team to make camp in Tokyo. Saudi Arabia will stay in Chofu City and practice at Tokyo Stadium (site is Japanese only), the 50,000 seat arena that is home to J-League teams FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy 1969 (site is Japanese only). The Japanese team, meanwhile, will be making camp in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture. With the assent of head coach Philippe Troussier, the team will stay at a traditional Japanese-style inn. Because many of the teams will hold practice matches at their training grounds before the tournament gets underway, soccer fans all over Japan will have an opportunity to see the best players in the world in action. Copyright (c) 2002 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.