The Roasso Kumamoto × Hsinchu Glory soccer exchange event was held a couple days ago, on December 23. This event was cosponsored by Hsinchu County Government’s Education Bureau, the Hsinchu Glory youth soccer camp, Roasso Kumamoto soccer team, JKL 331 cross cultural marketing company, and the Kumamoto Branch of JTB Corp, Japan’s largest travel agency. Hsinchu County Government’s Education Bureau Deputy Director Lin Yi-chou, Hsinchu County Athletics Federation Soccer Committee Chair Chiang Hsueh-hung, and others were onsite to show their care for such exchanges. They also cheered on all the participating little champions, and encouraged the kids to grasp this rare learning opportunity.
For this soccer exchange event, all Hsinchu County school soccer teams, groups, and Indigenous athletes from remote villages were invited to join in. All told, nearly 500 schoolchildren assembled together on the soccer field. The event program divided kids up by age, with three youth league coaches from Kumamoto, Japan teaching them in different time slots. Based on the kids’ different stages of development, the coaches provided expert, systematic soccer drills and technical guidance, ensuring that each child learn to the best of their abilities.
This exchange traces its origin to a July 2025 Hsinchu County Government trip to Kumamoto, in which County Government officials participated in the Semiconductor Industry Focus on Impacts on Regional Development and Response Strategies Taiwanese-Japanese forum, which helped to build up friendly relations. Also, on November 25, 2025, the Hsinchu County Cultural Foundation formally signed a letter of intent to cooperate with JTB Corp, aimed at working together in the areas of tourism, local industries, educational development, cultural promotion, and more. This will help transform international exchange into real action.
At this soccer exchange event, children were able to get wholeheartedly into training on the soccer pitch. While practicing how to trap & pass the ball, defense, and other fundamental skills, they showed great concentration and passion for learning. The practical interaction and exchange not only improved their soccer skills, but also built helped cultivate a spirit of teamwork, athletic literacy, and positive character development.
A spokesperson from Hsinchu County Government’s Education Bureau stated that ongoing international soccer exchange events will help deepen Taiwanese-Japanese friendship and promote long-lasting grassroots soccer. Events such as these help create diverse study environments with an international perspective for Hsinchu County schoolchildren build, and will keep promoting the development of athletics in Hsinchu County.