BVB unveil Asia tour: Kagawa reunion the highlight | OneFootball

Before the 2026/27 season, Borussia Dortmund will travel to Japan and play two friendly matches. One of the highlights will be an emotional reunion with BVB title-winning hero Shinji Kagawa.

Borussia Dortmund has finalized its summer plans and will head to Asia as part of its preparations for the 2026/27 season. Between July 26 and August 2, the team coached by Niko Kovac will travel to Japan, where two friendly matches are scheduled. As a result, there will be no traditional training camp in Europe this summer.

The first match will take place on July 29 in Osaka against Cerezo Osaka. It will also mark a special reunion with Shinji Kagawa, who played for BVB from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2014 to 2019, playing a key role in the club’s championship-winning seasons in 2011 and 2012. The match will be played at Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium at 7 p.m. local time.

The team will then travel on to Tokyo. There, Borussia Dortmund will face FC Tokyo at the National Stadium on August 1. The club is one of the league’s best-supported teams and currently sits second in the regional standings. There are also further links to Germany, as several players at the club — including Sei Muroya, Keito Endo, and Kein Sato — have already gained experience in German football.

BVB and Japan: Successful partnership set to grow

The trip is being made in coordination with the German Football League and also reflects the club’s international partnerships. Since the beginning of 2026, Borussia Dortmund has also been cooperating with Cerezo Osaka in youth development. It will not be BVB’s first visit to Japan: the club was previously there in 2015, 2017, and 2024. This latest trip underlines the close bond with fans and partners in the region.

Photo: IMAGO

“After our great experiences in Tokyo and Osaka, we feel a close connection to the Japanese fans, partners, and the country’s culture, and we are very much looking forward to traveling once again to this fascinating country. The reunion with Shinji Kagawa and the return to the metropolis of Tokyo are highlights for all of us. We thank our partners and the Japanese fans for their loyalty and look forward to reconnecting with old and new friends and to unforgettable experiences,” said managing director spokesperson Carsten Cramer.

The Asia tour will take place after the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and forms part of the club’s intensive preparations for the upcoming season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.