Japanese fans out in force for Beckham

More than 1,000 Japanese fans turned up amid tight security at Tokyo’s main airport today as David and Victoria Beckham arrived to kick off a tour of the Far East.

The England captain, whose Real Madrid move has generated a storm of media attention, is to shoot commercials in Japan before heading to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

The fans – mostly young women – mingled with scores of police and privately hired security guards in Narita airport’s arrivals hall.

“He is just so much more exciting to watch than Japanese players,” said Mari Kobayashi, who arrived three hours before Beckham landed to stake out a spot in the hope of catching a glimpse. “He is gorgeous!”

Some of the fans were already wearing Real Madrid tops in anticipation of the midfielder’s €35m move to the Spanish capital.

Last night’s announcement ends weeks of speculation over whether Beckham would leave Manchester United – the club he had been with for 13 years – but again put him in the spotlight.

Before his arrival in Japan, officials at Narita said they were prepared for chaotic scenes.

“This is a special case,” airport spokesman Kunio Hasegawa said. “There are already a lot of fans here.”

Beckham, who had just recently finished a promotional tour of the United States, said on Man United’s website earlier yesterday that he was looking forward to the Asia trip, his first since the World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.

“I had such a good time in Asia last summer at the World Cup and have been looking forward to returning,” he said. ”With such great fans all across Asia, I’m sure it’s going to be a memorable trip.”

The World Cup made Beckham a hugely popular figure in Japan, where he is referred to as “Beckham-sama,” which translates as something like Sir Beckham.

According to a report yesterday in the Asahi, a major newspaper, Beckham is in Japan as part of a two-year promotional deal with two Japanese companies worth a combined €7m.

Beckham will be in Tokyo until Saturday before flying on to Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and then Bangkok, Thailand.