Suntory, drinks giant established by his grandfather, overtook its nearest competitor, Sapporo, in 2008 sales.

FORBES: Magazine Article

There are moves to reduce transport costs by, for example, cutting landing fees at Sapporo's airport.

ECONOMIST: The first of an occasional series on Japan��s economic pains

But Argentina are prepared to run the risk - which makes the clash in Sapporo all the more intriguing.

BBC: Argentina's case for the defence

The first flight landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Sunday evening, local time, after a short flight from Sapporo in northern Japan.

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In August, as a result of deregulation, a new airline will start ferrying passengers between Sapporo and Tokyo at half the present fare.

ECONOMIST: The first of an occasional series on Japan��s economic pains

David Beckham grabbed the glory - but it was Michael Owen and Nicky Butt who put World Cup vengeance in England's grasp against Argentina in Sapporo.

BBC: Owen and Butt lead the charge

The next stop was the frozen north of Sapporo, more like a mid-west American town than Japan, with cool temperatures and an air-conditioned stadium with a spectacular Teflon-coated roof.

BBC: World Cup memory lane

Takugin's profitable business is likely to end up with Hokuyo Bank, a healthy mid-sized institution in Sapporo, while most of the non-performing loans will be inherited by the Deposit Insurance Corporation, an emergency pool funded mainly by other banks.

ECONOMIST: Japanese banks