Following its trips there in 2023 and 2024, Paris Saint-Germain Handball will embark on another summer tour of Tokyo, this time from 12th to 21st August 2025. The tour comes as part of the team’s preparations for the 2025–2026 season and demonstrates the club’s growing commitment to its international development, particularly in Asia.
At the Japan Sport Olympic Square in Tokyo today, the press conference announcing Paris Saint-Germain Handball’s 2025 Japan Tour was held in the presence of Yasufumi Kanemaru, president of the Japan Handball Association (JHA), and Hidenori Miyamoto, secretary general of the JHA, as well as other key representatives of Japanese handball, including Toni Gerona (head coach of Japan’s men’s national team), Tomohito Sato (Zeekstar Tokyo head coach), Hiroyasu Tamakawa (Zeekstar Tokyo player) and Naoki Fujisaka (player for Japan’s men’s national team).
Fresh from the success of the tour’s previous editions, Paris Saint-Germain Handball will return to Tokyo for a third consecutive year as the team looks to prepare for the 2025–2026 season. As well as carrying out several training sessions at the Ajinomoto National Training Center, Les Rouge et Bleu will play two friendlies:
• Tuesday 19th August 2025: Paris Saint-Germain v. Zeekstar Tokyo
• Wednesday 20th August 2025: Paris Saint-Germain v. Japan men’s national team
These two matches will be held at the prestigious Yoyogi National Gymnasium, which has a capacity of 13,000 spectators.
During their stay on Japanese soil last year, Raúl González’s men beat Zeekstar Tokyo 31-29 before earning a 37-31 victory over Japan’s men’s national team at Yoyogi National Stadium as part of a tour that once again confirmed the Japanese crowd’s increasing enthusiasm for handball, with full stands and an exceptional atmosphere. In fact, this annual event has now become an essential part of the sport’s development in Japan.
Beyond the matches themselves, this trip will be a chance for the club to meet its Japanese fans, to discover Tokyo’s cultural riches and to take part in initiatives designed to promote and to introduce handball to the general public, alongside the JHA.
In addition to its sporting challenges, this summer tour will constitute a key step towards building Paris Saint-Germain Handball’s new squad. It will mark the start of Stefan Madsen’s tenure as the team’s new head coach as well as the arrival of former Rouge et Bleu player Henrik Møllgaard as his assistant, with both men set to embody the club’s renewed ambitions and begin their shared mission in charge of the team in Tokyo. The tour will also provide an opportunity to bed in several new signings in an environment that will be ideal for forging relationships, instilling a collective mindset and laying the foundations of an ambitious campaign.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the opportunity that is being given to us to host Paris Saint-Germain Handball’s third successive tour of Japan. The previous tours have brought unforgettable excitement and inspiration to Japan’s handball fans, and the chance to be an integral part of international-level matches was an invaluable source of motivation for the Japanese athletes that are striving to improve their performances.
“This year’s Japanese tour will not only contribute to the sport itself but also reflect Paris Saint-Germain’s firm commitment to deepening its ties with the Japanese handball community and to supporting its growth. On behalf of the Japan Handball Association, I would again like to express my sincere gratitude for this wonderful opportunity. We really are grateful to Paris Saint-Germain for its considerable efforts, and Japan’s handball fans will be eagerly awaiting the team’s visit.”
Yasufumi Kanemaru, President of the Japan Handball Association
“We are very happy to be coming back to Tokyo this summer for another edition of the Japan Tour. The previous tours have been true successes, both in terms of the matches and in terms of our relationship with our fans. The Japan Tour provides our team with ideal conditions in which to prepare for the season, whilst also allowing us to strengthen our ties with our Japanese fans and to actively contribute to the development of handball in Japan. I would again like to thank the Japan Handball Association and Zeekstar Tokyo for their trust and their commitment in this wonderful joint venture.”
Thierry Omeyer, General Manager of Paris Saint-Germain Handball