Spurs in Japan | Players inspired following meet with children's hospice

Five members of our men’s first-team met with representatives from a children’s hospice in Japan for a cultural exchange that left both groups feeling inspired.

New signings Lucas Bergvall & Archie Gray, as well as Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Alejo Véliz, took part in a series of Japanese cultural activities and games with children & families from Yokohama Children’s Hospice during the Club’s pre-season trip to Tokyo.

Yokohama Children’s Hospice’s mission is to provide a place where children with life-threatening conditions, their siblings, and the whole family can enjoy the richness of life in a homely environment, share joy and receive long-term mutual support. The hospice was only the second of its kind to be created in Japan.

The games included traditional Japanese toys, such as Kendama, with the players taking turns to guess how they thought each of the games were played. Pedro and Alejo also wore the traditional summer kimono to fully immerse themselves into the local culture as they participated in the activities.

Archie said: “It is so important that as a Club we reach out to new communities when visiting other countries. These kids have had a really tough time and to be able to come down and hear their stories and enjoy the day with them was really special.”

Deki, meanwhile, added: “It has been really beautiful to meet with these children and see their smiles while they taught us some traditional Japanese games. It has been great to meet the families, learn more about their culture, and also share some aspects of our own culture in return.”

Mr Hisato Tagawa, Director of Yokohama Children’s Hospice, said: “This was a very important day for us, being part of the experience of the players interacting with our children and families. The children were able to harness the energy and motivation from meeting the players and this will no doubt help them get through a tough time in their lives. A big thank you to Tottenham Hotspur for the experience.”

The Club recognises the unique, positive impact we can make on the lives of children and families going through unimaginably difficult times, and therefore support for charitable causes is a key part of our activity on pre-season tours.

This is the essence of our hugely successful charity partnership back home with Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, who we have been raising awareness of for over 8 years, helping them grow and move into a dedicated hospice building that provides care for children with serious illnesses across North and Central London.

Through our own charitable Foundation, the Club is also dedicated to providing life-changing opportunities through sport for some of society’s most vulnerable groups.