Curling team from Japan playing in Wadena bonspiel 'treated like celebrities' in Sask. town

A group of curlers from the Japanese national team playing in a rural Saskatchewan tournament this weekend say they've been impressed by the level of competition so far.

"In Canada [there's] a lot and really high-level [curling], and it's really good. A lot of curling," said Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, the team's third.

He and three other players hailing from Karuizawa, Japan — skip Riku Yanagisawa, second Takeru Yamamoto and lead Satoshi Koizumi — are in Wadena, about 200 kilometres east of Saskatoon, for this weekend's ReMax Blue Chip Realty Tour Bonspiel.

Yamaguchi said there are not as many curling competitions in Japan as there are in Canada, but he was feeling good coming into the 16-team event, because his team had practised three times in the week leading up to it.

As of Saturday, the team was 2-1 in the qualifying rounds.

The Japanese team has been in Saskatchewan for about two weeks, but Yamaguchi said Wadena was his personal favourite stop of the trip so far. The local bakery was one of the highlights, he said.

Yamaguchi also said he looks forward to the beers after a game.

The team's trip to the Prairies also included a visit to a nearby bison farm and grain elevator to learn about different agricultural processes.

"I have never never seen buffalo, so it looks a little bit [scary]," said Yamaguchi. "But yeah, it was good."

Scott Comfort, who is a sponsor and part of the host committee for the event, said organizers are always open to bringing in international teams. In past, the event has hosted teams from China, Scotland and more.

"Anytime we get a team like that phone and say they want to enter [the] bonspiel, we're very happy to have them," said Comfort, who is also an ice maker for the event and the skip for Team Comfort.

His rink was the first one the Japanese team faced, losing to the visitors 9-1.

Comfort said everyone in town knows Team Japan is there and has been wishing them luck.

"They went out to the grocery store earlier today, and they're treated like celebrities," said Comfort. "They had pictures and everyone was getting signatures."