Ep 3. The Fan from Japan

'I always support Argyle with a smile on my face. We are the best team in the world'

Traveling long distances to experience bitter disappointment is perhaps the true making of an Argyle fan, so there’s no doubting the credentials of Usui Tatsuki.

The ‘Japanese Janner’ or ‘The Fan from Japan’ blew up on social media when he made the long trip from Iwate in Japan to London for the Papa Johns Final.

However, there was a happy ending. After heading to Plymouth for the final eight matches of the League One season, Tatsu couldn't have dreamed of a better end to his trip.

But for Tatsu, his trip is a story of the shared language of football, and the experience of being amongst other Argyle fans for the first time in his life.

‘The best days of my life’

“I was quite worried about traveling alone and wondered if I would be okay,” Tatsu told One Team in Devon, looking back on his trip from his home in Iwate.

“I didn’t speak English, but due to my love of football and Argyle, I had a lot of people in Plymouth helping me with my trip.”

“I came to England speaking very little English, but through football, I was able to connect with a lot of supporters and made a lot of great friends here in Plymouth, especially the Senior Greens, Ken, Bob, Chris, Emma, and Sandra. Thank you all,” he said.

Something of a Twitter celebrity in #pafc circles, the landscape gardener from Iwate’s walks across the length and breadth of Plymouth were well-documented on social media, with hundreds of selfies with the great and good of Plymouth.

“We went to see Argyle games as well as Plymouth Parkway, Truro, and children’s football games. We also played football together. It was the best days of my life.

“They used a translation app to talk to me, took me to different places and we had meals together. It was a moment when I connected with other Argyle lovers, even if we couldn’t speak the same language.”

‘I used to grieve alone’

An Argyle fan since 2005 (he admired the spirit of the Green Army in defeat to Everton in the FA Cup) Tatsu has shared our crushing lows, all from the other side of the world.

Perhaps he could take some heart from the embarrassing defeat against Bolton – because this was the first time he didn’t have to experience the pain alone.

“I have experienced a lot of disappointments in the past, but to actually experience them in the flesh was something else. In a way it was a game I will never forget. I used to grieve alone in Japan, but to come here and share the joy of victory and the sadness of defeat with other Argyle supporters was my best memory,” he said.

Fortunately, his trip didn’t turn into one long therapy session. On the pitch, Argyle strung together an astounding run of 7 wins from 8 games to be crowned League One champions with 101 points.

Tatsu saw each of these games, with his first in-the-flesh win being the comeback against Morecombe. And he had no doubt that Argyle would come back stronger after Wembley.

“I feel like this team has been reborn since Schuey became coach. A team that never loses. The day we lost the Wembley final I was convinced we would use this defeat to get promoted. That we would win the league.”

“I believed that, and I always support Argyle with a smile on my face. We are the best team in the world. The comeback at Morecombe was incredible, and I was able to share the joy with everyone behind the goal. It was a special day,” he said.

To come so far and bring such positive, unwavering support was perhaps the biggest gift that Tatsu could have brought from Japan. And perhaps his presence, and his energy, contributed in some small way to the determination within the club to get the job done.

After that came his first Devon derby, which was a rude introduction to the cauldron of a big rivalry.

“I went to Exeter! Before I went, I was told on social media that if they saw me, they would beat me up, and when I actually went, they gave me the middle finger and were verbally abusive. I was scared.”

The man from Iwate

Tatsu's Argyle Adventure

Few people from Plymouth would find Iwate on a map if asked – just as few Iwatians would identify Devon. But there are parallels between the two. Coastal Iwate is a schlep from Tokyo, a 7-hour drive into the north of Japan.

So Tatsu’s home – and his adopted home – are both remote. And it’s perhaps this why Tatsu feels such kinship with the city of Plymouth. But there’s one key difference.

“It’s a beautiful city and a great town – but the friendly Janner people made it a great trip. It’s very similar to Iwate, where I live, and that made me feel comfortable there.”

“The football fever and love here in Plymouth is amazing and very different to Iwate. In my part of Iwate there are a lot of sports going on, such as baseball, basketball, rugby, but football isn’t so popular.”

But the real question is Tatsu’s favourite pasty. He shared the honours between Ivor Dewdney in Plymouth (also One Team in Devon’s pre-match choice) and Philps in Cornwall.

And Tatsu is already working on a plan to come back and watch Argyle in the Championship.

“I have been working all my life without taking a holiday and I was told that I should take a holiday and rest – and that’s what I did in Plymouth. I want to come back next season, so I’m working on a plan now.

“For me, Plymouth is a treasure. The Green Army is a treasure.”