The hidden details inside Japan's sakura kit

After Japan hosted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier Tournament in Nisshin and Sano earlier this year, the sentiment among local fans was how can I get my hands on this top? 

The pink Japan kit has now been seen on a worldwide stage, with last week's stunning final-ball thriller against India making headlines. 

This should be Japan's shining moment on the cricket stage, as Nagoya hosts the Asian games. But flash flooding has impacted the matches in a significant way. 

That hasn't reduced demand for the kits, with fans able to put in orders via email.

So what is the meaning behind all the intricate details? Japan Cricket Association's CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji breaks it down for cricket.com.au.

The colours

For those unfamiliar with cricket in Japan, the home base has traditionally been the Sano International Cricket Ground. Sano is about two hours north of Tokyo by train, but it's a quaint town in its own right and famous for its particular style of ramen broth.

The town even has its own mascot Sanomaru, a puppy designed to look like a samurai with a ramen bowl as his helmet and deep-fried potato sticks (another local specialty) to represent his sword.

"Sano is famous for a Japanese style of blue colour in clothing. We used the blue and also we had some lovely cherry blossom out in the spring as well. So we chose the cherry blossom pink as the main colours," Miyaji said.

The details

"The sleeves have got Japanese traditional designs there. They also have meanings of being a strong team and good luck," Miyaji notes.

But the sides of the shirt are the really unique part that captures the eye immediately, taking inspiration from traditional Kumadori masks used in Japanese theatre. 

"That's the traditional Japanese Kumadori mask in the form of a fire as well. We've got some hidden heart marks in there as well," Miyaji explains.

The Olympic motifs

"Cricket's inclusion in the Olympic Games has opened opportunities for us to work with the Japan Olympic Committee, so we've got the Team Japan on the back," Miyaji said.

"Team Japan is not just cricket, but all sports that represent Japan under the the Olympic Committee. So we use their banner there and we also use the gold and red lines that are the elements of that and also the font as well."

The process and sponsors

"Mitsui Knowledge Industry, they have been supporting our women's team and men's team for a while now, and they thought that it was time for a new kit, and they wanted to help get us a new kit and design it," Miyaji explains.

"So we got a local designer to design a shirt, and we went through a process of getting the players to vote and we ended up with this.

"We've also got our clothing partners logo here, Mizuno. They are a Japanese brand that's global as well in different sports, and now they're getting into cricket."