We have today announced the Emirates FA Cup: Tokyo Takeover – the competition’s first official trophy tour of Japan.
In recent years, Japanese players such as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Kaoru Mitoma and Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada have captivated global audiences with their stellar performances in the Emirates FA Cup.
As excitement builds towards the Final at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Saturday 16 May, this tour aims to bring the passion and prestige of the competition to fans in Japan through a series of unique activations that bridge football with Japanese culture.
The tour will take place between Friday 27 March and Sunday 5 April, and visit the prefectures of Tokyo, Osaka and Shizuoka. The famous silverware will be showcased in an historic exhibition at the national stadium in Tokyo with the Japanese Football Association’s Emperor’s Cup, which was originally modelled on the FA Cup, and at an event with Japan’s oldest professional baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, at the Tokyo Dome.
The trophy will also visit other iconic landmarks around Tokyo, as well as the famous Ajigawa sumo wrestling stable in Osaka; the Oshiba ‘football’ shrine in Shizuoka; and an international school in Tokyo for a football clinic with former professional players. The tour will culminate in an exclusive watch party in Tokyo for the quarter-final tie between Manchester City and Liverpool on Saturday 4 April.
The Tokyo Takeover will additionally feature a unique collaboration with the popular football manga Blue Lock, which has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, via bespoke content that pairs key themes of the Emirates FA Cup with famous moments from iconic games and scenes from Blue Lock that embody them.
James Gray, the FA's Commercial Director, commented: "Together with Emirates, our title partner, it is a great honour for us to be taking the FA Cup trophy to Japan. The incredible success of Japanese players in England has fuelled strong interest in English football; creating a powerful platform to deepen connections with both fans and commercial partners. This tour celebrates the Emirates FA Cup’s rich heritage while creating distinctive brand moments and further expanding the competition’s global reach in a key international market."
You can follow the Emirates FA Cup: Tokyo Takeover using @emiratesfacup on Instagram, TikTok and X.
