“This is a perfect slice of Tokyo,” says Bradley, who is visiting from London and greatly looking forward to cheering on his team on Saturday in Yokohama when they play South Africa in the final. “It’s kind of like Hyde Park and Central Park all rolled into one. Everything is going on here. And imagine this place next year for the Olympics? It's going to be a zoo.” Actually, it already is. The Ueno Zoo, the oldest zoo in the country opened in 1882, is also here.

Not too far from where the giant pandas and Sumatran tigers roam is a huge vestibule that features, according to one local friend, “some of the best performers in Tokyo.” There is a mind-boggling array of street performers featuring everything from trained monkey acts to fire-juggling pole dancers. But it's the music that hypnotically fills the air in Ueno Park. It’s everywhere and the lush tones of saxophonist Toma playing Oblivion, a traditional tango by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzola, literally stops people in their tracks.

His accompanying vocalist tells me that, while Toma could headline at high-end places like Club Blue Note, he only plays in the park now. Because his sax does all the talking, Toma has no need to speak English. Apparently, neither does Ryunosuke, a folk guitarist not too far away who claims he knows the entire Bob Dylan catalogue verbatim. But you speak no English, I ask? “Only sing English,” he says.

Further down the line I finally find a musician, and an extremely engaging one at that, who does speak English, which is good because I want to find out if there has been a palpable Rugby World Cup vibe around Ueno Park these last six weeks.

Standing behind a huge xylophone, she is tapping out Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head. Of course, I can't resist. “It's been raining for a month,” I say. “How about doing some George Harrison and Here Comes the Sun?” When I compliment Naccha-san on her xylophone skills, she is quick to correct me. “I am a marimbist,” she says, “this is a marimba.” Ok, news to me. So Naccha-san, who do you like on Saturday, England or South Africa? She looks puzzled. Rugby World Cup final, I tell her. “Hmmm, South Africa,” she says. And why is that? “Because England is so strong, no? That’s why I wish.”

Naccha is one of hundreds of artists who have licences to play in the park, and most have to book one month in advance to get a spot playing here. For many, the donations are their sole source of income and help to pay the bills. Others, however, have more pressing needs. Pere Jovanov is a classically trained cellist from Macedonia who plays in local concert halls, but claims most of his earnings are from his performances in the park. “Concerts are rare, but here I can play every day,” he says. However, unlike the other performers, his donation box has a clear message and cause.

 “Your Donations Will Help Me To Make My Dream Come True: Going to the USA in January to meet the hero of my childhood Vince Carter,” it reads. Currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Carter turns 43 in a few months and is the oldest player in the NBA. But Jovanov remembers watching the one-time high-flying star when he broke in with the Toronto Raptors 21 years ago. “I just love him, I don’t know why,” he says. “It’s just like when you love a woman, you don't know why, you just do.”

He tells me he is 70 per cent of the way there in his funding and that some of the rugby fans have been generous. So is he watching? “I am watching but I still need to understand the rules,” he says. “Last week I watched Japan and South Africa but I don’t understand 50 per cent.” Do they play rugby in Macedonia? “No we don’t have rugby,” he says. “We are good in handball and volleyball.”

And basketball hero worship. “Yes,” he says. “Please tell Vince, I will come.” Of course I will. It's the least I can do on a sunny day in Ueno Park.