© FC Bayern / Sofieke van Bilsen
At the start of the Allianz Women’s Tour in Japan, a discussion took place on Wednesday in Tokyo about the importance of German-Japanese relations and women’s football. At the invitation of the German Ambassador to Japan, Petra Sigmund, representatives from FC Bayern and its partner Hitachi Energy were guests at the German Embassy – including Bianca Rech, director of FC Bayern Women; Tokiko Tsuboka, Head of Communications & Government Relations at Hitachi Energy Japan; and Nils Frohloff, Head of Communications & Government Relations at Hitachi Energy DACH. In a warm atmosphere, the guests discussed the role of sports in building bridges between the two countries. During the visit to the German Embassy, Rech emphasised the honour of sharing experiences and working together to advance the development of women’s football together.
In her welcome address, ambassador Sigmund highlighted the particular role of women’s football in the context of bilateral relations. With a view to the upcoming friendly between FC Bayern Women and RB Omiya on Saturday, she stressed that football and sport in general can be a unifying element that strengthens the ties between the two countries long-term.
On behalf of FC Bayern Women, Rech thanked the Embassy for the invitation and the warm welcome. The visit to the residence was a special start to the Asia trip and offered the opportunity to create connections, share experiences and promote the development of women’s football, she said.
For Hitachi Energy, official partner of FCB Women, Frohloff highlighted the partnership as an example of German-Japanese cooperation. In his words, the partnership demonstrates just how close and successful cooperation across national borders can be.
In a symbol of this bond, Rech presented the German Embassy with an FC Bayern Women shirt, while Hitachi gave a scarf. During the meal that followed, the topics of conversation included the sporting and structural development of the Munich team, the growing significance of women’s football in both countries, and the social responsibility of top clubs with the same aim of empowering girls and women in Munich, Tokyo and beyond to follow their path – in sport and elsewhere.
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