Arriving in Tokyo on 14 August, Les Rouge et Bleu continued their pre-season preparations at the Ajinomoto Training Centre, under the guidance of Stefan Madsen and his staff. The team then played two gala matches at the legendary Yoyogi National Stadium:
· On 19 June against Zeekstar Tokyo (Paris Saint-Germain Handball won 36-35)
· On 20 June against the Japanese national team (Paris Saint-Germain Handball won 30-23)
In total, the two matches played at the Yoyogi National Stadium attracted 14,505 spectators, confirming the Japanese public's growing enthusiasm for handball.
Between training sessions and matches, Les Rouge et Bleu had the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japan's rich culture through a number of unique experiences:
· An introductory workshop on the art of the samurai,
· A class in traditional knife making,
· A sumo wrestlingdemonstration,
· A dinner cruise in Tokyo with Japanese culinary specialties and karaoke.
Over three consecutive editions, the Japan Tour has established itself as a major event in Paris Saint-Germain Handball's summer schedule. The Club confirms its commitment alongside the Japan Handball Association and Zeekstar Tokyo, key partners in this project, and reaffirms its ambition to actively contribute to the development of handball in Asia.
The Rouge et Bleu will officially kick off the 2025-2026 season in the Trophée des Champions against Montpellier at the Arena Futuroscope in Poitiers on Saturday 30 August.
This third tour of Japan confirms the quality of our collaboration with the Japan Handball Association and Zeekstar Tokyo. We would like to thank them for their warm welcome and the seamless organising of these two preparatory matches, which were an important step in our collective pre-season work. Every year, we see the enthusiasm for handball grow in Japan, and we are proud to contribute to it.