Japanese football fans: a masterclass in sportsmanship and mutual respect

[True Believer]

It is perhaps the most admired and heartwarming tradition in modern sports. At this year's World Cup, Japanese fans have again been praised for staying behind to clean up the stands after their 2-2 draw against Holland. Using blue trash bags, the fans move through rows of seats to collect plastic bottles, food wrappers and discarded rubbish, leaving their section pristine. The cleaning habits are deeply rooted in Japan's culture and education.

 

[True Believer]

This is not a new phenomenon. In 1998, the practice 1st captured global attention during Japan’s World Cup appearance in France. Even when their team was eliminated in the group stage, the Japanese fans stayed behind to tidy up. In 2022, they regularly cleaned up the stadiums in Qatar, even after an exhausting emotional high following their historic upset victory over Germany. The Japanese supporters have consistently repeated this gesture at every World Cup and major Olympics since. To the fans, it isn't an extraordinary chore; it is simply a reflection of atarimae which is a Japanese concept "to do the obvious."

 

[True Believer]

 

[True Believer]