Sakata, who was recently inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame, met with WRU President Dennis Gethin, Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis and Head Coach for the tour of Japan Robin McBryde, to celebrate the long standing partnership between the Unions.
The WRU presented Welsh gifts to the former wing who played in the very first match between Japan and Wales at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973.
Japan lost out 62-14 on that day but the game became the foundation for the relationship and just two years later Wales visited Japan for the first time on a two-test tour.
Forty years on and Wales are back in Japan for a third time, again playing a two match series.
Sakata, who is president of the Kansai Rugby Union, was delighted to be honoured by the WRU and remembers the first encounter well.
“It was very exciting because in 1973 we travelled to a home union for the first time,” he said.
“We were beaten by a big score but we enjoyed it very much. I still have Gerald Davies’s jersey in my house. It was a good game and Welsh rugby people are very kind.
“I can still remember travelling through Cardiff with the fans and the police escort and it was a real experience.
“It’s a great memory.”
The last time Wales played in Osaka in 2001, they ran out 64-10 winners and Japan are keen to put in a good show this time around against the RBS 6 Nations Champions.
“We are getting stronger under Eddie Jones. We just lost two games but the players and the Union are really focused on the test series against Wales. We are going out to beat Wales and hopefully there will be a big crowd of up to 20,000 here on the weekend,” he added.
In his role with the local union, Sakata is hoping Osaka’s historic Hanazono Stadium which will host the test match against Wales on Saturday, will stage some games in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
“The Hanazono Stadium is very old and has a good history. I love this ground, the World Cup must come to this ground.”
