Japan fans cleaned up the stands at Dallas Stadium after Sunday's 2-2 World Cup draw with the Netherlands. The Samurai Blue supporters filled blue bags with litter. FIFA praised their "impeccable manners".
Japan fans cleaned up the stands at Dallas Stadium after Sunday's 2-2 World Cup draw with the Netherlands. The Samurai Blue supporters filled blue bags with litter. FIFA praised their "impeccable manners".
Minutes after their team drew against the Netherlands, Japan supporters took the spotlight.
The blue bags they had waved during the comeback were reused to collect bottles, food wrappers, and cups. Hundreds of fans combed the rows before leaving the stadium.
FIFA shared images of the tidy stands on social media. The caption read: "Japan fans doing what they do... supporters once again demonstrated their impeccable manners, tidying the stands before departing Dallas Stadium."
Two moments became viral. A supporter in a wheelchair, wrapped in the Japanese flag, took part with help from those around him. NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, working as a broadcast pundit, was seen joining in while wearing a blue Japan shirt with his own name on the back.
This is not the first time they have gained praise for their manners. Japanese supporters first made news cleaning stadiums at the 1998 World Cup in France.
A Japanese proverb says: "Tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu," often translated as "return it the way you found it." And they sure did it, every tournament since. This is Japan's eighth consecutive World Cup.
Children in Japan clean their own classrooms and school corridors daily. Public bins are scarce, and people are expected to take rubbish home.
Japan returns to action against Tunisia on Saturday in Group F. Their fans, on this evidence, will be carrying their bags.
