Japan announces end of the year tour

The Japan Rugby Football Union announced the game dates for the Brave Blossoms' November tour today.

The tour, the first under new coach Jamie Joseph, opens on November 12 in Tbilisi with a test against Georgia.

Joseph and his team will then travel to Cardiff to play Wales at the Principality Stadium on November 19, before heading to France to play Fiji at a stadium yet to be determined.

Japan have played Georgia four times, winning three, the most recent a 13-10 victory in Gloucester, England, in September 2015 prior to last year's Rugby World Cup.

The Brave Blossoms have won one and lost eight against Wales, though their last game was a 23-8 win in Tokyo for the hosts.

Fiji have beaten Japan in 13 of the 16 games they have played, including a thrilling 35-31 win in Toulouse, France, during the 2007 World Cup.

Joseph, currently the head coach of Super Rugby's Highlanders, takes over the Brave Blossoms following the completion of this year's Super Rugby competition.

Mark Hammett is currently acting as interim coach with the Brave Blossoms, who play Scotland in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, on Saturday and at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium on June 25.