Manchester meets Japan: A summer like never before

Manchester and Japan will share a special summer in 2023.

Two giants of Japanese culture are headline acts at this year’s Manchester International Festival (MIF) before Pep Guardiola’s triumphant City squad head the other way in order to prepare for the 2023/24 season.

Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yayoi Kusama are two of the central pillars of this year’s celebration of all things art and culture in the centre of our city, starting on 29 June.

Sakamoto, a renowned composer, producer and performer, won an Oscar, BAFTA, Grammy and two Golden Globes for his work on film scores, while he also gained acclaim for his solo career and his work composing the music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

He died from cancer earlier this year but his work lives on and will be the central aspect of mixed reality concert KAGAMI at this year’s MIF, which will fuse music with moving photography.

Despite taking many forms, Kusama’s art is instantly recognisable and has been showcased in galleries all over the world. Tate describe her as ‘the princess of polka dots’ as many of her paintings, sculptures, performances and installations feature dots in one way or another.

MIF will play host to her largest-ever immersive environment this summer, bringing together many of her inflatable artworks from a long, distinguished career.

Just as MIF ends on 16 July, the champions of Europe will be gathering again in Manchester after a post-season rest.

Guardiola’s squad will train at the City Football Academy for a few days before setting off for Japan’s iconic capital city, Tokyo.

In Tokyo, we will immerse ourselves in the local culture and meet our Japanese fans, while getting ready for a bumper 2023/24 season.

As well as defending our Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies, we will also compete in both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the first time during the fresh campaign.

Before that, we face our sister club Yokohama F. Marinos and German giants Bayern Munich at the Japan National Stadium on 23 and 26 July respectively.

We will also travel to Korean capital Seoul to play Spanish club Atletico Madrid on 30 July.

With two Official Supporters Clubs in Japan, Yui Hasegawa excelling in midfield for Gareth Taylor’s Barclays Women’s Super League side and CFG club Yokohama F. Marinos sitting top of the J1 League just beyond the midway point, the links between Japan, City and Manchester as a whole have never been stronger.

Artists in their own right, playing some of the most beautiful football ever seen, our players have demonstrated the best of Manchester on the biggest stages in sport.

Whether it’s players that were born and raised in our city, like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis, or international stars who have come to call it home, our squad are brought together to ply their trade in our city.

It’s a city with a global outlook and a history of progressive thinking, and Guardiola’s Treble winners are just the latest innovators to enhance Manchester’s reputation.

According to John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International and Manchester International Festival, that’s a spirit that also inspires MIF.

“From the radical and agenda setting to the purest of celebrations, MIF23’s programme covers a huge range of art forms and styles,” he said ahead of this year’s festival.

“MIF is rooted in its home - in the spaces and places of Greater Manchester – and alongside our centrepiece exhibition of Yayoi Kusama’s incredible inflatable sculptures, the Festival continues to extend its reach throughout the city in a true celebration of Manchester and its cultural offerings.

“From homegrown talent to trailblazers from the far reaches of the globe, each of this year’s artists bring unique work and ideas to the programme taking the temperature of our times and imagining possibilities for the future.”

While Manchester’s public can sample the best of Japanese art early in the summer, football admirers living in Japan will get close to some of our game’s biggest names later in July.

Whether it’s Ederson’s revolutionary style of goalkeeping, Kevin De Bruyne’s assists, Erling Haaland’s unprecedented goalscoring or John Stones’ ability to seemingly play centre-back and central midfield at the same time, our players are at the forefront of footballing innovation.

For the rapidly growing Supporters Clubs in Tokyo and Osaka, the reasons to follow City over other European giants are clear.

Shinpei Machiba of the Osaka branch says: “It's really cool to see attractive players working together to win with offensive football that destroys the opposing team. Every season we incorporate new tactics, so it's exciting and fun.”

Tim Miyoshi, the founder of Osaka Cityzens, has attended a game at the Etihad Stadium every year under Pep Guardiola’s reign outside of those affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

He says his visits also include enjoying Manchester’s pubs and trips to the National Football Museum and Science & Industry Museum, two of the cornerstones of Manchester’s year-round cultural offering.

Meanwhile Hasegawa, the diminutive midfielder, is a Japanese national approaching 12 months in Manchester.

The 26-year-old joined from West Ham last September after moving to Europe in 2021 for a spell with AC Milan.

Born in Toda, a city separated from Tokyo by the Arakawa River, she rose through the ranks with Nippon TV Beleza in the north of the capital.

Upon signing for City, she remarked how it had been a dream of hers to represent one of the biggest clubs in English football.

“Before coming to England I was a player in Japan and Italy,” she said in her first interview as a City player.

“It was a huge dream of mine to play here. When I played against City I immediately liked the feel of the place so I said yes when I got the opportunity to join.

“The stadium, the training ground are very impressive. When you arrive you realise straight away that this is a big team. I also like men’s football so I am looking forward to seeing them play too.”

She was pivotal to our Barclays Women’s Super League side throughout her first campaign at the Academy Stadium.

Despite her small frame, Hasegawa was more than capable of holding her own at the base of midfield and possessed the skill and close control to help City move the ball up the pitch.

Ahead of this summer’s tour, Hasegawa believes the men’s team will enjoy their time in her homeland.

She said: “There are a lot of City fans in Japan, it's amazing.”

“I think everyone is looking forward to it. Also, I hope that the good character of the Japanese people and the city can be conveyed to the players and staff. I'm looking forward to the City Tour myself.”

The Blues have played in Japan before.

We first landed on its islands in May 1976, winning all four games in a series against a Japan National XI as part of a post-season tour.

A 2019 visit saw Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Lukas Nmecha get the goals in a 3-1 win against a Yokohama F. Marinos team then managed by new Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou.

Our 2023 trip begins with a meeting against that same side, the current champions of the J1 League.

Kevin Muscat’s team regained the title after losing out to Kawasaki Frontale in the previous two campaigns and again look well prepared to challenge this year as the title race heats up.

The Nissan Stadium club have been part of the City Football Group since 2014, a period which has seen both City and Yokohama go from strength to strength.

Since the partnership was announced, City have lifted an incredible six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and a Champions League.

In the same time, Yokohama have added their sixth and seventh Japanese titles having not previously lifted the top flight trophy since 2004.

It’s fitting that our first match after completing a historic Treble in Istanbul will be against Yokohama, and it’s sure to provide a stern test.

Guardiola’s men will be using the fixture in order to tune up ahead of an intense season, but equally important will be greeting those loyal, enthusiastic fans in Japan and strengthening our connection with a nation that clearly loves football.

For City fans in Manchester and Japan, there is a lot to look forward to.