Wartime British Cultural Diplomacy and the Dawn of Japanese Football: A Reassessment of the 1919 FA Silver Cup Donation

Abstract

The Japan Football Association (JFA) was established as the Dainippon Shukyu Kyokai (Greater Japan Football Association) in 1921, spurred by the donation of a silver cup from the English Football Association (FA) in 1919. This trophy laid the groundwork for a national tournament that would later evolve into the Emperor's Cup. While this donation has conventionally been attributed to the individual efforts of William Haigh, this study, drawing on historical records, argues that the event was deeply intertwined with British propaganda strategy in wartime Japan. The testimony of Uchino Dairei in the JFA's official bulletin, Kaiho (1922), has long served as a primary reference for this donation. However, given that Uchino was not directly involved in the process, the comprehensiveness of his account warrants re-examination.

This paper, therefore, analyzes recently discovered primary sources—including telegrams from the British Foreign Office and Ministry of Information, correspondence from the FA Chairman, and Haigh's own memoranda—to elucidate the broader geopolitical context underlying the donation. These documents reveal the multifaceted roles played by key figures—Haigh, British Ambassador Sir Conyngham Greene, Harold Parlett of the British Ministry of Information, and the Japanese educator Nagai Michiaki—in making the donation a reality.

The study concludes, firstly, that the silver cup donation was a product of British cultural strategy towards Japan, utilizing football as a medium. Furthermore, it reveals that alongside Haigh's pivotal role, Nagai Michiaki also played a crucial part in both the conception and reception of the silver cup. The FA's swift preparation of the trophy and the British government's strategic use of football are considered to have influenced the shaping of Anglo-Japanese relations at the time. While initially an instrument of wartime propaganda, the donation far transcended its original purpose, contributing to the development of Japanese football and strengthening cultural ties between Britain and Japan. Despite subsequent historical vicissitudes, including the dissolution of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance and the loss of the silver cup during World War II, the JFA and its national tournament have continued to thrive. The donation endures as a testament to British cultural influence in Japan, retaining its historical significance to this day.