Meiji University fly-half Ryunosuke Ito has shone for Japan in his three Nations Championship appearances as Brave Blossoms coach Eddie Jones has successfully unearthed his latest wonderkid.
Ito caught the eye with an assured Japan debut as the hosts impressively beat Italy 27-10 at a sold out Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo in the opening round of the new tournament.
Fourth-year student Ito, 21, pulled the strings in a plucky Brave Blossoms display against Ireland and looked comfortable as his country’s new playmaker against France on Saturday.
Ito was handed the 10 shirt for his country’s first three matches in a Tier 1 tournament outside of the World Cup in the absence of injured Kobe Steelers fly-half Lee Seung-sin.
The fearless youngster, who is yet to play a professional club game, has more than lived up to Jones’ pre-tournament billing as being ‘as good as any player in the world at fly-half for his age’.
RugbyJP.com has compiled six facts about Japan’s new playmaker:
1. Older brother Kotaro plays 10 for Black Rams Tokyo
His older brother Kotaro Ito, 24, plays for division one side Black Rams Tokyo.
Kotaro is regarded as a naturally gifted playmaker and was hailed as the next Yu Tamura, having attended the same high school and university as Japan’s former star fly-half who won 70 caps for the Brave Blossoms.
He joined the Rams from Meiji University as an early entry player in the 2023-2024 season and made his League One debut in the 16th round against Toyota Verblitz.
In his first full season, he played in all 18 league matches and was nominated for the Rookie of the Year award.
Kotaro, who has 33 League One caps, has made four appearances for the Japan XV team.
Ryunosuke’s brother had to play second fiddle last season to countryman Ichigo Nakakusu who established himself as the club’s first-choice fly-half and steered Tabai Matson’s team to their first League One play-off appearance.
Siblings Ryunosuke and Kotaro will be opponents in Japan’s top-flight next season.
2. Younger sister Chihiro plays for Meiji’s rivals Waseda University
Ryunosuke and Kotaro’s younger sister Chihiro Ito, 18, wears the red and black of Waseda University unlike her brothers who wore the deep bluish-purple and white of arch-rivals Meiji.
Teenage fly-half Chihiro, a first-year student in the Department of Sport Sciences, School of Sport Sciences, produced a try-scoring display in the Kanto University Rugby All-Star Game at Chichibunomiya on 5 July, just 24 hours after her brother Ryunosuke led Japan to victory in the same stadium.
Chihiro first picked up a rugby ball at the age of three and used to play with her brothers in the park when they were home from university and has said that she studies her brothers’ play in order to improve her own game.
The youngest Ito sibling helped her side to secure the first leg of the Taiyo Life Women’s Sevens Series 2026 Challenger Tournament series in May.
3. Ryunosuke started playing rugby aged 3
Ryunosuke, who has come through the Japan Talent Squad (JTS) pathway, started his rugby journey at the age of three.
He has cited his older brother Kotaro as his inspiration for pursuing rugby.
During his high school years, he took part in the famed Hanazono tournament for three years running and led Kokugakuin Tochigi High School to the finals for the first time.
4. Can also play scrum-half, centre and wing
Eddie Jones has hailed his new star fly-half and confirmed that he was also the cover for the scrum-half position against France with no direct back-up to Naoto Saito selected in the 23.
“Ito we developed in the Japan Talent Squad to cover 9 for us,” said Jones pre-match during an online press conference.
“He’s an outstanding 10 and he can cover 9. If we need Saito to be covered he’s the guy who’ll step in there.”
During his time at Kokugakuin Tochigi High School he also played on the wing and as a full-back.
RugbyJP.com understands that Ito’s favoured positions are fly-half and inside-centre.
5. Helped lead Japan XV to Pacific Challenge 2024 title
Ito steered Japan XV to World Rugby Pacific Challenge glory in 2024 as they impressed with an 11-try, 65-15 win over Tonga A in the final in Samoa.
Japan had booked their place in the final after consecutive bonus-point wins in the tournament as they bested Samoa A 48-5 and edged past defending champions Fiji Warriors 45-43 in the first two rounds.
The World Rugby-funded tournament features predominantly under-23 players with the aim of helping countries to identify future Test rugby prospects.
Japan’s team also included hooker Kenji Sato and full-back Yoshitaka Yazaki who, like Ito, have both made the successful transition to Test rugby under Jones.
Ito is a fan of Japanese idol girl groups Nogizaka46 and FRUITS ZIPPER and enjoys attending their live shows.
His favourite Nogizaka46 members are Asuka Saitō, who graduated in 2023, and fifth generation member Teresa Ikeda.
Stay tuned to RugbyJP.com for on-site coverage of Japan’s August series against the Wallabies