Why did Shinji Kagawa come to the home game against VfB Stuttgart with two children? There is a very special story behind this: the 12 year old Haru from Tokyo was voted the valuable player of the BVB Evonik-Football School in Japan and thus he had the great honour of meeting his idol personally.

In the summer of 2015 Haru took part in a vacation course of the BVB Evonik-Football School in Tokyo, as his big dream was to become a professional footballer later in life. He wants to get to where his great idol Shinji Kagawa already is. This dream became reality for Haru for a few days. Voted ‘Most Valuable Player’, Haru travelled to Dortmund and became part of the BVB world. He trained with the BVB U13 Academy team and tested his skills in the Footbonaut in the Youth Academy centre in Brackel.

Apart from taking part in many Black Yellow football adventures, little Haru also watched a training session of the U23 team and during a stadium tour of the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, he went on the look-out for the great BVB star. Then when Haru was all looking forward to meeting our Japanese U23 player Mitsuro Maruoka, he didn’t know yet that there was another surprise guest waiting for him: Shinji Kagawa. Both football professionals took time and answered all the questions of the little young and upcoming football star. As a Good-Bye present Shinji gave the boy a very special present: his original football boot.

But there was still more to come. The absolute Black Yellow highlight came on Sunday before his return trip to Tokyo. He was allowed to be an additional mascot for the match against VfB Stuttgart at the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK and held Shinji Kagawa’s hand when the teams walked out onto the pitch and he was able to see the 4-1 BVB victory from right up close!