And for now they call Dunedin home.
Fumiaki and Tomomi Tanaka have been living in the South for the past four months, experiencing a southern winter and getting to know the city.
The couple got married last Christmas and Tomomi (23) admitted she wanted to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon.
But her husband had a rugby dream, and wanted to get better at the game.
So it was St Clair instead of Waikiki, and Fumiaki (27) has relished the chance to play rugby in the South.
The Japanese halfback, who has 31 caps for Japan, has been one of Otago's standout players this season and is looking to maintain that form for the rest of the competition.
But Tomomi has been far from idle.
She was a professional badminton player in Japan, and played for the Yonex and then Sanyo teams where she met her future husband.
Though she says badminton is now just a hobby, she has been playing the game while in Dunedin and has made the Otago team.
She has beaten New Zealand's second-ranked player, Anna Rankin, and will be playing in regional tournaments later this month.
Though they both had limited English, they were enjoying their time in the South.
Fumiaki was finding the rugby different in some ways but the same in others.
"You still pass, run, tackle. But in Japan it is very fast, fast all the time. While here it is fast but it is also very physical," he said.
Standing just 1.66m tall, in size 6 boots, and weighing just 72kg, he gives up more than 40kg to some big forwards in the competition.
"There are some big, strong guys up against you. Very big."
He admits some of the lineout calls can be a mystery but has had no problems so far.
After the season is over the couple will head back to Japan, where Fumiaki will resume playing for Panasonic Wild Knights. Panasonic bought Sanyo a couple years ago.
Fumiaki said he would love to play Super 15 but was not looking too far ahead.
If he was asked he would jump at the chance to come again and wear the blue jersey.
He is coached in Japan by Otago coach Tony Brown and also plays inside former Highlander Mike Delany.
But one man outside Delany had got all of Japan rugby excited, he said.
Sonny Bill Williams is playing for the Wild Knights, and Fumiaki said his presence was a great boost for Japanese rugby.
"Japan is very, very excited about him."
