Japan Foundation, JFA, J.League to launch Joint football exchange programme in Asia

The Japan Foundation Asia Center, the Japan Football Association (JFA) and the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) signed a memorandum of agreement on the development of football exchanges and joint programmes in Asia.

The Japan Foundation newly established the Asia Center within their organisation in April, 2014. With the eyes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the Asia Center is expected to nurture sympathy and the sense of coexistence as neighbours among Asian countries, and to develop the cultural exchange in various fields such as art, academics, sports and Japanese-language education. The Japan Foundation Asia Center, the JFA and J.League will collaborate with each other to expand the wave of exchanges, first focusing the relationship between Southeast Asia and Japan through football, the most beloved sport in the world.

The further improvement of the Asian football certainly leads to the enhancement of Japanese football.

Between Japan and Asian countries, there are plenty of exchanges among players and coaches in the recent years. TV broadcasting for matches of Japan National Team and the J.League also has increased. Based on such situations, Japan’s presence has been strengthened among Asia, especially among Southeast Asian fans, and now more and more football officials in those countries strive for exchange opportunities with Japanese football. With deepening this good relationship, we would like to work together and disseminate the improved “Asian Football” to the world.

The agreement overview and upcoming schedule are as follows.

Overview

1. Football related programmes that lead to the mutual understanding and exchange encouragement among citizens and among young people in Asia
2. Joint activities, including fostering human resources such as football players, coaches, referees and management personnel, that lead to the improvement of Asian football
3. Enforcement of network among human resource such as football players, coaches, referees and management personnel in Asia to build up the base of football exchange encouragement
4. Joint programmes including international friendlies and joint training workshops and seminar, etc. in Asia

Upcoming Schedule

- Hosting national team camps
(Brunei U-20 from 21 September through 4 October 2014, Philippines U-22 from 4 November and Cambodia U-14 from 9 November)
- Dispatching Japanese coaches to Southeast Asian countries’ national team
- Conducting JFA coaches training in Southeast Asian countries (Scheduled in Thailand from 10 November 2014)
- Holding international competitions for Southeast Asian youth players
- Hosting training workshops for Southeast Asian coaches and staff involved in youth development.
- Inviting Southeast Asian league management personnel, club staff, trainers, media, etc., for practical and observational study tours such as league management, club administration, turf management, training, and TV broadcasting technology
- Dispatching Japanese staff (management consultants) to Southeast Asian leagues
- Conducting kids football clinics in Southeast Asian countries
- Promoting J.League’s “Yononaka-ka” for kids in Southeast countries
- And others

The Japan Foundation

Main business fields: to hold and support three major international exchange activities; arts and cultural exchange, Japanese-language education overseas, and Japanese studies and intellectual exchange. It newly established Asia Center in April, 2014, and promotes exchanges and coordination within Asia in a variety of fields.
President: ANDO Hiroyasu
Location: 4-4-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004