Here is why do the football fans from Japan pick up the trash and the waste from the stadiums to clean them while they went to watch the FIFA World Cup game
The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar have been making so much of the headlines not just because it is he biggest footballing major but also some other news making headlines be it good and bad.
Why Do Japan Football Fans Clean Stadiums After Matches And Make Origami
One of the best things that have been into the news are the Japan fans. The Japan’s fans have won the hearts and respect of people all over the world for their cleanliness at the World Cup by picking up the trash that has been left behind at the stadiums in Qatar, in matches that their country isn’t even participating in.
This was especially noticeable following Wednesday’s thrilling 2-1 victory over Germany by Japan, when despite the obvious joy they must have been experiencing, they still found time to pick up the trash.
It goes without saying that the Japanese are known for their cleanliness and have been cleaning up after themselves during football games for years, but why? Let us have a look at the reason.
Al Jazeera made the decision to investigate and questioned several Japanese fans to learn the motivation for this great behaviour. After Japan defeated Germany, a supporter said the following to other fans:
Our heart is clean, so the stands must be clean. This means the team reaches its destiny.”
Another said: “What we’re taught is that leaving things cleaner than the way you found it is atarimae. And that we should always express gratitude.”
Atarimae roughly translates as ‘stating the obvious’ which is fair enough in that if you see rubbish, it should be cleared up.
It was discovered that the infamous blue binbags used by Japanese supporters are distributed before to the game if you’re curious. According to a supporter:
We distribute these bags to everyone who sits in the Japan fan seats. So when our team succeeds we can paint the area blue. To tidy and clean when we leave is a manifestation of our culture.”
In conclusion, if you have appreciated the World Cup antics of the Japanese supporters, they will continue in Qatar for at least one more match. However, on Sunday, they were defeated 1-0 by Costa Rica and did not obtain the desired outcome. The right defender from Costa Rica scored the goal that decided the match. Before Fuller’s goal against the flow of play in the second half, neither team had attempted a shot on goal in the first half of the game. Japan had improved its attack in the first half but that wasn’t enough.
Japan will next face Spain on December 2, Friday. Meanwhile, in a Group E encounter on Wednesday, Japan stunned four-time world champions Germany in what was unquestionably the second-biggest upset of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty had given Germany the advantage early in the first half. But in the second half, Japan turned up the heat and scored twice to secure a historic victory.
Ritsu Doan scored Japan’s opening goal after Takumi Minanmino, a former Liverpool player, fizzed a ball across the box that Manuel Neuer could only parry away. He scored a goal to tie the game after only four minutes on the field.
Another substitute, Takuma Asano, sprinted onto a ball over the top to score Japan’s second goal, blasting it into the roof of the German net. The Japanese bench went crazy and ran along the sideline to celebrate.