Peña Tokiotarrak: Athletic fans in Japan

Athletic Club fan clubs can be found all over the world and the one in Japan has recently found itself in the spotlight.

LaLiga has produced a video report about ‘Athletic Tokiotarrak’, the Athletic fan club based in Tokyo, Japan -and also the official supporters club which is furthest away from Bilbao. The piece has been aired by several Japanese media outlets, and provides a detailed look at Athletic, San Mames and the fans.

Athletic Tokiotarrak was founded by Masami Murakami in 2014. Murakami fell in love with Basque culture and Athletic Club after attending a match at San Mamés while on a business trip to Bilbao 14 years ago. Upon his return to Japan, Masami decided to set up the fan club so he could keep cheering on Athletic from afar.

Since then, he has visited Bilbao and The Cathedral as often as possible. Meanwhile, the fan club has gone from strength to strength, gaining new members who are just as passionate as its founder. A total of seven members regularly meet up at their “txoko” in Tokyo to watch Athletic matches, comment on the latest news, collect Athletic memorabilia or simply enjoy a good meal together.