On August 1 -- the day before their teams clash in the ninth American Bowl in Tokyo -- head coaches MIKE HOLMGREN of the Green Bay Packers and MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER of the Kansas City Chiefs will host the American Bowl Coaching Clinic for 75 Japanese football coaches.

Following their respective team practices at the Tokyo Dome, Holmgren and Schottenheimer will discuss the fundamentals of coaching with coaches of Japan’s university and corporate football teams.

"I'm very much looking forward to speaking to the group of coaches in Japan about football," said Holmgren. It will be a good opportunity to talk to them about the game, how we play it in the United States and maybe even about some strategy."

Currently there are 450 high school, college, and corporate football teams in Japan with a total of more than 16,500 players.

Last week, the Packers and Chiefs welcomed the first-ever Japanese players to participate in NFL training camps.

Four players from the NFL Europe League – Amsterdam Admirals linebacker MASAFUMI KAWAGUCHI and Rhein Fire running back TAMON NAKAMURA with the Packers, and Scottish Claymores tight end NACHI ABE and wide receiver MASATO ITAI with the Chiefs – spent a full training camp week in practices, film sessions and meetings and will play in the August 2 American Bowl. Kickoff is 11:15 AM (ESPN, 10:15 PM ET on Saturday, August 1 in the United States).

American Football was introduced to Japan in 1934 by PAUL RUSH, a missionary living in Japan; GEORGE MARSHALL, an athletic instructor at Rikyo University and former quarterback at Ohio University; and Colonels ALEXANDER GEORGE and MERRITT BOOTH, military attaches at the U.S. Embassy.

The first teams were formed at Rikyo, Meiji and Waseda Universities. The first game was played in November, 1934, when a group of students from the three universities played the Yokohama foreign club.