Japan’s supporters have long been applauded for tidying stadiums after World Cup fixtures, and their well-known post-match ritual now appears to be inspiring fans from the host nation as well.
The Japanese national side secured a 1-1 draw against Sweden in their final Group F match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Thursday.
After celebrating Japan’s qualification for the World Cup knockout rounds as runners-up in the group, supporters quickly shifted focus to another familiar part of their matchday routine.
Thousands of bags are typically brought into the stadium by Japan fans, first serving as a visual show of support when inflated before the Samurai Blue make their way onto the pitch.
Once the final whistle has sounded, those same plastic bags are repurposed for collecting litter, with rubbish then handled in line with the venue’s local disposal guidelines.
Japanese supporters upheld their World Cup clean-up tradition following the draw with Sweden
Fans were spotted gathering rubbish from the seating areas and depositing it into blue bags
Local spectators also appeared to take part in the practice that has become closely associated with Japan’s World Cup fan culture
Japanese fans were not alone though in their efforts in Dallas, with locals also seen joining in with the post-match clean-up.
Local resident Eitan Podgaetz, who is Mexican, told the Dallas Morning News that Japan’s supporters had inspired him to get involved.
‘It was a great atmosphere,’ Podgaetz said.
‘The Japanese fans spent all 90 minutes singing, they never stopped.
‘It was a great experience.’
Jameis Winston, a quarterback for the New York Giants in the NFL, was also seen wearing a Japan shirt and participating in the clean up.
The tradition has existed since Japan’s debut appearance at the World Cup back in 1998 and has continued in each of their seven subsequent appearances.
Japanese fans, however, do not just reserve their ritual for only the biggest occasions.
In Japan, cleanliness forms a huge part of the culture and is instilled in people from an early age
The tradition among Japan’s fans has been on show at each of their eight World Cup appearances
Back in March, supporters were hailed as ‘selfless’ and ‘respectful’ after staying for nearly an hour after an international friendly against England to clean up any mess left behind.
Videos and images showed scores of visiting supporters trawling through the stands at Wembley Stadium and picking up coffee cups, crisp packets and sweet wrappers.
It earned the supporters the praise of Wembley’s official social media page, which simply posted: ‘Thank you’.
And at the last World Cup finals four years ago in Qatar, the Japanese were commended after staying late to clean up following a landmark 2-1 victory over Germany.
After their 2-1 win over Colombia at the 2018 tournament in Russia, fans also ensured they left no mess behind before leaving the Mordovia Arena in Saransk.
That move at the 2018 tournament seemed to spark a trend, with Senegalese fans later seen tidying up following their win over Poland.
Japan’s players have also earned praise for leaving changing rooms in a spotless state.
While fans were cleaning the stands after the win over Germany, the team also left their dressing room in pristine condition – even leaving behind origami swans with a thank you note in Japanese and Arabic.
Japanese fans typically use their blue plastic bags to show support for their team pre-match, before cleaning up with them after the game
In Japan, cleanliness forms a huge part of the culture and is instilled in people from an early age.
Scott North, a professor of sociology at Osaka University, told the BBC in 2018 that tidying is a way of ‘demonstrating pride in the Japanese way of life’.
‘It’s not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture,’ he said. ‘You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that’s the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football.
‘Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school, where the children clean their school classrooms and hallways,’ he added.
‘With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population.’
The clean-up in stadiums, however, has received a mixed reaction back in Japan with male fans who have received praise on social media having been told to also contribute to housekeeping back home.
Japanese fans will first contribute to the post-match clean-up following their last-32 tie at the World Cup.
Having finished second in their group, Japan will face record five-time winners Brazil in Houston on June 29.
Japan will be bidding to win a World Cup knock-out match for the first time in their history.
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