Japan big soccer. Japan’s World Cup Fans Set Example with Stadium Cleanup Tradition

How do Japanese soccer fans contribute to cleanliness at World Cup stadiums. Why has this cleanup tradition gained global attention and praise. What cultural values does this practice reflect about Japanese society.

The Rise of Japan’s Stadium Cleanup Tradition

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Japanese soccer fans captured global attention not just for their passionate support, but for their admirable post-match behavior. After games, groups of Japanese spectators could be seen meticulously cleaning the stands, picking up litter left behind by fans of all nationalities. This practice, while surprising to many international observers, is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and values.

The cleanup routine typically unfolds as follows:

• Fans bring their own blue trash bags to matches
• After the final whistle, they spread out through the seating areas
• They collect bottles, food wrappers, and other debris regardless of who left it
• Filled bags are handed to stadium staff on the way out

Cultural Roots of Japan’s Cleanliness Ethic

Why do Japanese fans engage in this voluntary cleanup? The practice stems from deeply ingrained cultural values and social norms in Japan:

• Respect for shared spaces and leaving areas cleaner than you found them
• Personal responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in public areas
• Early education emphasizing tidiness and communal cleaning duties in schools
• The concept of “omotenashi” – wholehearted hospitality and care for others

Eiji Hattori, a 32-year-old fan from Tokyo, explained: “It’s a sign of respect for a place. This place is not ours, so we should clean up if we use it. And even if it is not our garbage, it’s still dirty, so we should clean it up.”

Global Reactions and Spreading Influence

How has the international community responded to Japan’s cleanup tradition? The practice has garnered widespread praise and admiration, with several notable outcomes:

• Videos and images of Japanese fans cleaning have gone viral on social media
• FIFA highlighted the cleanliness of Japan’s locker room after their victory over Germany
• Fans from other countries have been inspired to follow suit and clean up after matches
• Increased global awareness of Japanese cultural values and etiquette

Tomomi Kishikawa, a 28-year-old Japanese fan in Qatar, expressed hope that the practice would spread: “We believe we can make this contagious. We don’t need to push anyone to clean. But if we start, maybe we can be a good example of respect.”

Beyond the Stands: Japan’s Team Sets an Example

Is it only the fans who demonstrate this commitment to cleanliness? The Japanese national team has also embraced this ethos, extending the practice beyond the stands:

• After their upset victory over Germany, the team left their locker room impeccably clean
• FIFA shared images of the spotless locker room, further highlighting Japan’s dedication to tidiness
• The team’s actions reinforce the values displayed by their supporters

Japan’s coach, Hajime Moriyasu, commented on the team’s behavior: “For Japanese people, this is just a normal thing to do. When you leave a place, you have to leave it cleaner than it was before.”

Misconceptions and Clarifications

While the cleanup tradition has garnered overwhelmingly positive attention, it’s important to address some misconceptions:

• Not all Japanese fans participate in the large-scale cleanup efforts
• Most are conscientious about disposing of their own trash, but only a smaller group actively cleans up after others
• Some fans prefer to simply enjoy the match without feeling obligated to clean

Nagisa Amano, a 23-year-old fan from Yokohama, provided perspective: “We were actually invited to clean up, but we didn’t want to. We just wanted to enjoy the stadium. We have a right to do that, I think.”

The Role of Cultural Ambassadorship

How does the cleanup tradition serve as a form of cultural diplomacy? The practice has become an unexpected but effective way of showcasing Japanese values and etiquette on the global stage:

• Demonstrates Japanese concepts of respect, responsibility, and community-mindedness
• Provides a positive representation of Japanese culture to international audiences
• Encourages cross-cultural understanding and appreciation
• Inspires others to adopt similar practices, promoting global citizenship

The Japanese Football Association has embraced this role, distributing blue plastic bags with “Thank You” written in English, Japanese, and Arabic to fans at the World Cup.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite the positive reception, the cleanup tradition has also raised some questions and concerns:

• Potential reinforcement of stereotypes about Japanese people
• Pressure on individuals to conform to expected behavior
• Questions about the responsibility of event organizers in maintaining cleanliness
• Debate over whether such practices should be universally adopted or remain culturally specific

These considerations highlight the complex interplay between cultural practices, individual choices, and global perceptions.

Lessons for Global Sporting Events

What can other countries and sporting events learn from Japan’s cleanup tradition? The practice offers several valuable insights:

• Importance of personal responsibility in maintaining public spaces
• Potential for fans to play a role in event sustainability efforts
• Value of promoting respectful behavior and cultural exchange at international events
• Opportunities for positive fan engagement beyond cheering and spectating

As the cleanup tradition gains attention, it may inspire event organizers and fans worldwide to reconsider their approach to stadium cleanliness and environmental responsibility.

The Impact on Stadium Operations

How does the Japanese fans’ cleanup effort affect stadium operations? While the practice is admirable, it’s important to consider its broader implications:

• Reduced workload for cleaning staff, potentially allowing for more efficient resource allocation
• Increased awareness of waste management issues among spectators
• Potential for implementing more comprehensive recycling programs at venues
• Opportunity to rethink stadium design and waste disposal systems

Stadium managers and event organizers may find valuable lessons in the Japanese approach, potentially leading to improved sustainability practices across the sports industry.

Educational Opportunities

Can the cleanup tradition be used as an educational tool? The practice offers numerous opportunities for learning and cultural exchange:

• Schools could incorporate lessons on global citizenship and environmental responsibility
• Sports clubs might implement similar practices to instill values of respect and community service
• Cultural exchange programs could use the tradition as a starting point for discussions on societal values
• Environmental organizations could partner with sports teams to promote sustainable practices

By leveraging the attention garnered by the World Cup cleanup efforts, educators and organizations have a unique opportunity to promote positive values and behaviors.

The Future of Fan Engagement

How might the cleanup tradition evolve and influence fan culture globally? As awareness of the practice grows, it could lead to several developments:

• Increased fan-led initiatives for stadium cleanliness and sustainability
• Integration of cleanup activities into official fan club programs
• Development of technology and apps to gamify and incentivize cleanup efforts
• Expansion of the practice to other types of events beyond sports

As fans become more environmentally conscious and socially responsible, the Japanese cleanup tradition may serve as a model for a new era of spectator engagement.

Media Representation and Cultural Stereotypes

How does media coverage of the cleanup tradition impact perceptions of Japanese culture? While largely positive, the attention has raised some concerns:

• Risk of oversimplifying or exoticizing Japanese culture
• Potential reinforcement of the “model minority” stereotype
• Challenges in representing the diversity of opinions within Japanese society
• Opportunity to foster more nuanced cross-cultural understanding

Media outlets and commentators have a responsibility to provide context and avoid overgeneralization when reporting on cultural practices like the stadium cleanup.

Economic and Environmental Considerations

What are the broader economic and environmental implications of the cleanup tradition? The practice intersects with several important issues:

• Potential cost savings for event organizers on cleaning services
• Reduced environmental impact through proper waste disposal and recycling
• Opportunities for developing more sustainable event management practices
• Potential for creating new markets for eco-friendly stadium products

As the sports industry faces increasing pressure to address its environmental impact, the Japanese cleanup tradition may offer valuable insights for sustainable event management.

The Role of Technology and Innovation

How might technology enhance or transform the cleanup tradition? Several possibilities exist:

• Development of biodegradable or easily recyclable stadium products
• Creation of smart bins that sort and compact waste automatically
• Use of augmented reality to guide fans in proper waste disposal
• Implementation of reward systems through mobile apps for cleanup participation

As technology continues to advance, innovative solutions may emerge to support and expand upon the principles embodied in the Japanese cleanup tradition.

Cultural Exchange and Diplomacy

How can the cleanup tradition facilitate cultural exchange and diplomacy? The practice offers unique opportunities:

• Fostering dialogue between fans from different countries about social responsibility
• Showcasing positive aspects of Japanese culture on a global stage
• Inspiring international cooperation in addressing shared challenges like waste management
• Promoting mutual respect and understanding among diverse groups of sports fans

Through these small acts of cleanliness and consideration, the cleanup tradition may contribute to broader goals of international friendship and cooperation.

Challenges to Widespread Adoption

What obstacles might prevent the wider adoption of the cleanup tradition? Several factors could pose challenges:

• Cultural differences in attitudes towards public cleanliness
• Resistance from event organizers who prefer professional cleaning services
• Concerns about liability and safety issues related to fan cleaning activities
• Difficulty in changing established behaviors and expectations of sports fans

Addressing these challenges will require careful consideration and adaptation to local contexts and cultural norms.

The Psychology of Collective Action

What psychological factors contribute to the success of the cleanup tradition? Understanding these elements could help in promoting similar behaviors:

• Social proof and the power of positive example
• Sense of belonging and shared responsibility within a fan community
• Pride in representing one’s culture positively
• Intrinsic satisfaction from contributing to a cleaner environment

By leveraging these psychological principles, organizers and community leaders might encourage more widespread adoption of socially responsible behaviors at sporting events.

Long-term Impact on Sports Culture

How might the cleanup tradition influence sports culture in the long term? Several potential outcomes are worth considering:

• Shift towards more environmentally conscious event planning and execution
• Increased emphasis on fan participation in creating positive stadium experiences
• Development of new traditions that showcase cultural values through fan behavior
• Greater focus on the social responsibility of sports teams and organizations

As the cleanup tradition gains recognition and inspires similar practices, it may contribute to a broader evolution in how we think about the role of sports in society and the responsibilities of fans.

At the World Cup, Japan Takes Out the Trash, and Others Get the Hint

Soccer|Cheer, Chant, Clean: Japan Takes Out the Trash, and Others Get the Hint

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/sports/soccer/japan-fans-clean-up-world-cup.html

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Japanese fans went viral for cleaning up after a World Cup victory. Fans from other countries are following their example.

Japanese fans have won acclaim for picking up litter from the stands after matches. But the practice is not new or, for them, unusual.Credit…Tasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Published Nov. 27, 2022Updated Dec. 18, 2022

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AL RAYYAN, Qatar — The final whistle blew on Sunday afternoon, and the Japanese fans who had just spent hours bouncing under a blistering midday sun allowed themselves a moment to wallow in the disappointment of their team’s 1-0 loss to Costa Rica.

But the moment quickly passed, and out came the blue trash bags.

In the return of a postgame ritual that is being met with widespread astonishment at this year’s World Cup, a group of Japanese spectators, who only moments earlier had been deliriously singing for their team, began meticulously cleaning the stands at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, picking up trash scattered across the rows of seats around them.

It hardly mattered what it was — half-empty bottles of soda, orange peels, dirty napkins — or who had left it behind. The fans went across the aisles shuffling the litter into bags before handing them to smiling — and clearly delighted — stadium workers on their way out.

“It’s a sign of respect for a place,” said Eiji Hattori, 32, a fan from Tokyo, who had a bag of bottles, ticket stubs and other stadium detritus. “This place is not ours, so we should clean up if we use it. And even if it is not our garbage, it’s still dirty, so we should clean it up.”

The image of spectators calmly assuming janitorial duties during the World Cup has charmed observers from other countries, like the United States, where slaloming around sticky soda spills, toppled bags of popcorn and mini mountains of peanut shells is often accepted as part of the normal sports stadium experience.

But in Japan, tidiness, particularly in public spaces, is widely accepted as a virtue. Japanese people at the game said such habits were taught at home and reinforced at schools, where students from a young age are expected to clean up their classrooms and school facilities on a regular basis.

The cleaning of shared areas, like stadiums, becomes something of an individual responsibility, and there are often not armies of workers hired to do it.

“For Japanese people, this is just a normal thing to do,” said Hajime Moriyasu, the coach of the Japanese team. “When you leave a place, you have to leave it cleaner than it was before.”

Videos and pictures of the Japanese cleaning sessions have gone viral on social media. But it is not just fans who are sharing them: Last week, FIFA posted a picture of the Japanese team’s locker room after its enormous upset victory over Germany. The room was — you guessed it — spotless.

Fans from other teams, inspired by the Japanese, have started cleaning up after games, too.

“We believe we can make this contagious,” said Tomomi Kishikawa, 28, a fan from Tokyo currently working as a flight attendant based in Doha. “We don’t need to push anyone to clean. But if we start, maybe we can be a good example of respect.”

For Japanese fans, the sudden global spotlight and outpouring of appreciation has been met with a mixture of pride, amusement and embarrassment.

Many have glowed in the positive depictions of the country’s culture. Some are confused about what the fuss is about. And others have felt pangs of discomfort, wondering if this was yet another instance where a specific behavior was being held up as representative of the entire populace of Japan.

The number of Japanese fans cleaning up after matches has been small, but the impression they have left has resonated around the world.Credit…Tasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Several fans at the stadium on Sunday, for instance, tried to clarify one thing that may have been muddled in all the fawning viral posts and press coverage: While most Japanese people are conscientious about throwing out their own trash, only a small group of fans at this World Cup has been walking around picking up other people’s garbage.

The Japanese Football Association on Sunday passed out hundreds of blue plastic bags that had the phrase “Thank You” written in English, Japanese and Arabic, but only a few dozen fans — out of the thousands present — joined the broader effort.

“We were actually invited to clean up, but we didn’t want to,” said Nagisa Amano, 23, a fan from Yokohama. “We just wanted to enjoy the stadium. We have a right to do that, I think.”

Amano said she had heard of instances in Japan in which stadium workers had been forced to reopen garbage bags packed by overzealous fans in order to separate materials for recycling. She wondered if Japanese fans in Qatar might inadvertently interfere with similar efforts.

She said the hoopla over the fans’ conspicuous cleanliness was probably good for Japan’s image abroad, but wondered if their motivations were entirely pure.

“I heard some people are joining that group to clean up just to enjoy being in the spotlight,” she said.

Credit. ..Tasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

In a tweet shared widely after the Germany game, Yoichi Masuzoe, a former governor of Tokyo, suggested that Japanese travelers needed to be more aware of the local culture and customs and respect the fact that there were already people hired to clean the stadiums.

“Japanese civilization is not the only world,” Masuzoe wrote.

The cleaning, however, seems to be appreciated in Qatar. After Japan’s win over Germany, a stadium staff member led a group of workers and volunteers over to the fans tidying up the stands and thanked them through a bullhorn.

On Sunday, Jaziba Zaghloul, 18, a volunteer from Beirut, Lebanon, was zipping across a seating row holding her own blue trash bag.

“It’s not my job, but I feel a responsibility,” said Zaghloul, who noticed that fans from Morocco and Saudi Arabia had followed the Japanese fans’ example and cleaned up after games. “There’s a sense of community when you see people care. It’s a snowball effect. ”

Hikari Hida contributed reporting.

Andrew Keh is a sports reporter in New York covering the Olympic Games. He was previously an international correspondent based in Berlin and has reported from more than 25 countries. More about Andrew Keh

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section D, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: These Japanese Spectators Gain a Spotless Reputation. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

World Cup: Support for Women’s Soccer Lags in Japan

The head of Japan’s professional female football league said support for women’s sports still lags behind other countries, even as global interest is rising.

Haruna Takata, who chairs the two-year-old WE League, came into the spotlight recently when she floated an idea to start a crowdfunding campaign to fund the broadcast rights to avoid a TV blackout for the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

Public broadcaster NHK stepped in at the last minute to air the tournament, set to start in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. Takata said the saga helped raise awareness of the problems facing women’s football in Japan.

Even though Japan won the title in 2011, media portrayals of female athletes in Japan don’t help, said Takata, who is also vice president at the Japan Football Association and was formerly the president of second-tier men’s league club V-Varen Nagasaki.

Read More: A Viral French Ad Shows How Women’s Soccer Can Be Just as Exciting as Men’s

“In Japan the tendency is particularly strong to focus on the visual appeal and cuteness of female sports players,” she said. “No matter how much football’s competitiveness improves, it’s hard to get people to feel interested in that aspect of it.”

“I think that people around the world are not really aware of the extent to which the gender gap index in Japan is reflected in the current issues surrounding women’s sports in Japan,” said Takata. “I think it is amazing that every country is so far ahead of the times in terms of the gender gap. ”

Japan ranks 116th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, and is the only Group of Seven country outside of the top 100.

Read More: Japan Sends Male Minister to Lead G7 Meeting on Women’s Empowerment

“If Japanese society didn’t have such a big gender gap, and if it were more enlightened about women, I think women’s football would also be more accessible for viewing,” said Takata.

The 2011 win for the Nadeshiko, as the team is known, was particularly significant as it came just months after the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan’s northeast.

“They were determined to give courage to the people of Japan by doing their best after the Great East Japan Earthquake,” said Takata.

The team came second after losing to the U.S. in 2015. However, momentum behind women’s football in Japan has stalled in the years since, even as global interest in women’s sport accelerates. Ticket sales for the Women’s World Cup already hit a record 1. 25 million, while viewership and the number of sponsors have reached new heights in recent years.

Sign up for ‘Extra Time,’ our new newsletter that will break down the biggest moments from the 2023 Women’s World Cup

“I wish we had seized the opportunity when we won the World Cup, and invested more in the business side of it,” said Takata, who assumed the position at the women’s league last year.

Still, vast inequities remain in salaries and prize money, which are ultimately dependent on the ability of women’s sport to generate TV revenue.

Japanese broadcasters had shown previous Women’s World Cup tournaments, but this year is the first time the rights are being sold independently and not bundled with the men’s event. European broadcasters had also initially been reluctant to pay for TV rights, putting in bids as low as less than 1% of the winning bid for last year’s Qatar World Cup. A European broadcast deal was finally reached in mid-June.

Japanese online platform Abema streamed the Qatar World Cup in November for free, with the national team’s unexpected progress out of the group stage pushing the service to have to restrict access due to overwhelming demand.

The Nadeshiko will play their first match against Zambia on July 22 in New Zealand. The U.S., who are aiming to win their third straight championship and fifth title overall, are the favorites.

Read More: Megan Rapinoe Fights for Equality—and a Third World Cup Title

Whether or not Japan repeat their 2011 success, Takata said she believes it’s still important to seize the opportunity to raise the value of women’s football overall with players becoming inspirations for young women.

“I believe that if we can pave the way, we can definitely have an impact on other women’s sports,” she said.

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The best Japanese football players – the top players in Japan

Japanese football was a mystery for some time, hardworking talents periodically appeared from there, who declared themselves, but did not make a general idea of ​​the level of Japanese sports. However, among the football performers from Japan, there were also bright talents. Moreover, at the European club level, they literally shone.

1 Takefusa Kubo

Barcelona is a club of world-class influence. It is difficult to imagine how the Spanish breeders managed to see this football player in the modest Japanese club Persimmon. True, it did not work out right away to take possession of this talent: FIFA restrictions on age interfered.

But a little later, the player signed a contract with Real Madrid. However, he did not stay here yet, going on loan to the Villarreal club.

Watch this video on YouTube

2 Shinji Kagawa

A well-known midfielder who was first noticed by Borussia Dortmund. There he performed quite brightly for two seasons, after which he moved to Manchester United at the personal insistence of Alex Fergusson.

In the English championship, he won the national championship, but did not stay long and returned to the Bundesliga again. However, this time the midfielder’s game began to fade gradually. Soon he went to Besiktas, and now he plays for Real Madrid. Only not from Madrid, but from Zaragoza.

3 Yuji Nakazawa

The path of this defender to big football, who became the captain of the national team, was geographically complex. To gain playing wisdom, he had to go to the Brazilian championship. There, for some time he played for the team “Americo” from the state of Mineiro.

The club obviously didn’t have enough stars from the sky, but it gave decent professional training. Nakazawa has clearly improved not only in technique, but also in the ability to choose a position on the football field. As a result, he is now one of the best defenders in the Japanese championship.

4 Shinji Okazaki

This football player is one of the best scorers of the national team, he played in the Bundesliga and the Spanish championship. But he managed to achieve the greatest success in the English championship, when he sensationally won gold medals with the little-known club Leicester City.

Many football players of the champion squad then moved to star clubs, but Okazaki chose Malaga from the second league, and very unsuccessfully. For this Spanish club, he did not play a single match, as he could not be declared due to financial restrictions. Now he also plays for the Spanish club Huesca, which for the first time in its history managed to break into the Example.

5 Takumi Minamino

A midfielder who also managed to win English championship gold medals. But before that, as part of the Red Bull team, he won the Austrian championship five times.

Already scored 81 goals in 280 matches during his club career. Over the course of five years, he scored 11 goals for the national team, one of them in the final of the last Asian Cup. True, the Japanese team then still lost to Qatar with a score of 1:3 and won silver medals.

Watch this video on YouTube

6 Kazuyoshi Miura

This football player also went to Brazil to study football, and he did very well there: for his magnificent goals, he was nicknamed Emperor Kazu there. In fact, he became the first bright star of Japanese football. True, later he did not shine either in Dinamo Zagreb or in Genoa. But, regularly returning to Japan, every time he turned out to be the idol of the fans.

At forty-five years old, he still continued to play for Yokohama, which is an age record for the local championship.

7 Keisuke Honda

Another such player. probably not in the world – he is both a player in the Brazilian club Botofago and the coach of the Cambodian national team. Moreover, this has happened since the time when he played in the Australian Championship.

And he declared himself in a rather modest Dutch club “Venlo”, which he literally pulled into the top league of the national championship. The player attracted the attention of many eminent clubs, but unexpectedly the transfer battle was won by CSKA Moscow, for which Honda played very brightly and left only for Milan.

8 Shunsuke Nakamura

This talented player was said to be able to do everything with his left foot, even open cans. Many experts still believe that it was not and is not more accurate for left-handed strikes in football.

This gifted footballer achieved his greatest success in Scotland, winning the national championship with Celtic. Admired his game in the Champions League.

9 Shinji Ono

The midfielder showed himself at the age of 13, when he was taken to the youth team of the country, where mostly sixteen-year-olds played. In the adult national team of Japan, he also made his debut early – at the age of 18.

Wins the UEFA Cup with Dutch Feyenoord. Participated in three world championships.

10 Hidetoshi Nakata

At the World Championships in France, Nakata dyed his hair red. so that European breeders pay attention to it. The trick worked – he was invited to the Italian championship. There, after some time, he got into the star Roma under the leadership of Fabio Capello.

The footballer has repeatedly confessed. that watching football does not like and does not understand the fans. But he himself possessed beautiful dribbling, it was on him that the audience went. He stopped playing at 29 because, as he put it, he was physically tired.

How Japan will win the World Cup before 2050, the development of football in Japan

Giant progress in the past 30 years.

“Nothing is a miracle,” is how Japan’s central television and radio company NHK reacted on social networks to the victory over Germany (2:1).

After a 2-1 victory over Spain, midfielder Ritsu Doan, who launched both comebacks after substitute appearances, added: “I think people in Japan have now realized that winning the first round was an inevitability, not a miracle. We haven’t changed history yet, but we’ve crossed a big hurdle. We fought a lot together to achieve this result.”

Ao Tanaka, scorer of the winning goal against the Spaniards, agrees: “Everyone says ‘surprise’ or ‘miracle’, but we don’t think about it because we did it ourselves. I wasn’t surprised.”

Breaking into the playoffs from a group with two world champions, and even from the first place, is still called the Japanese miracle all over the world. But the position of Doan and Tanaka is understandable – this is not just an accident or luck, local football went to this success for a long time, patiently and purposefully.

Never Forget Doha. Qatar-1993 – Maribor of the Japanese, after which the country did not miss a single World Cup

The current confidence of the Japanese team is largely due to the 54-year-old coach Hajime Moriyasu, who even before the start of the tournament said that their minimum goal was the quarter-finals in order to update the best result of Japan.

He was not embarrassed either by the presence of the Spaniards in the group with the Germans, or the established tradition with alternating Japanese appearances in the playoffs of the World Cup:

1998: did not leave the group

2002: 1/8 finals

200 6: Did not qualify from the group

2010: Round of 16

2014: Did not qualify from the group

2018: Round of 16

The first step is taken – in Qatar, the team made it to the play-offs for the first time at the second World Cup in a row. Moreover, Moriyasu is involved in both tournaments. The ex-coach of the Japanese Olympic team came to the main team just in 2018 – to help Akira Nishino at the World Cup in Russia. There, the only team from the Asian teams reached the playoffs, but after the tournament, Nishino resigned, and Moriyasu took his place. Under him, the Japanese have already reached the final of the 2019 Asian Cup, where they lost to the hosts of the tournament – Qatar (1:3).

In general, Doha is a symbolic place for Moriyasu. This story has been going on since October 1993, when Japan dramatically failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

Before the decisive qualifying round, which took place in Qatar, the Japanese were leading the group. In the match with Iraq, they were satisfied with a victory, and in some cases even a draw. In the 80th minute, Japan took the lead 2:1 – and as close as possible to the first World Cup in history. But in the 91st minute, the Iraqis played a corner and unexpectedly leveled the score. From misfortune, the Japanese immediately fell on the field, and after the final whistle they sobbed for a long time.

In parallel matches, South Korea and Saudi Arabia won, at the very last moment taking away a ticket to the World Cup from Japan. For the Japanese, this draw is as traumatic as Filimonov-1999 or Maribor-2009 for the Russians.

If the Koreans call that match “The Miracle in Doha” (they got to the World Cup only due to the better goal difference), then the Japanese call it “The Tragedy in Doha” or “The Agony in Doha”. The phrase “Never forget Doha” has become a part of the country’s sports culture, warning that no one should be underestimated.

The event has taken hold in pop culture:

• In the manga and anime series Space Brothers, the protagonist’s date of birth is October 28, 1993. This is the day of that very game – and it is on this date that the character likes to explain all his failures.

• The phrase “Agony Doha” in the anime film “Eureka 7” refers to a secret military experiment that ended tragically.

Midfielder Hajime Moriyasu played a key role in the outcome of that match – he spent the whole game on the field and could not prevent the Iraqis from equalizing. In December 2018, the Japan Football Federation published in the newspaper a letter from the national team coach, written to himself in his youth.

In it, Moriyasu reimagined the events of 1993:

“To you, whose dream was shattered that day,

35 caps and one goal – my numbers are not impressive, but every game helped me grow. And each was fraught with disappointment.

My first appearance for the national team happened in May 1992. I was still nobody, we played with Argentina and lost on all counts. It was disappointing. As a player, I didn’t want it to end like this. I wanted to do everything to reduce this class difference. I wanted Japan to be able to compete with the best in the world. No, I wanted to be even better. I lost and found a dream. She became everything and turned into an obsession. After overcoming so many difficulties, I reached the door to the world, but the dream ruthlessly collapsed.

October 1993 Doha, Qatar. At the 90th minute, the ball flew past my head, the opponent hit and, like in slowmo, the ball flew into the net. All I could do was follow the ball with my eyes. After that, I don’t remember much. Did we say goodbye right? Who did I talk to? How did you get back to the hotel? When I came to, I found myself sobbing on the veranda of the hotel. I lamented so much, I blamed myself so many times. And this is what I realized in the middle of the biggest failure in life – you have nothing if you do not win. You don’t get anything.

25 years later, I’m in charge of the Japanese national team. Our challenge continues to make the dream I left halfway a reality. And fate again leads us to this place – to Qatar.

Finally, I want to say a few words to those whose dream was also shattered that day. Make Japan stronger and conquer the world. We’ve shed enough tears of regret.”

“Agony in Doha” divided the history of the Japanese team into before and after. Dutch coach Hans Oft was immediately fired, a number of players ended their careers in the national team, and the long-awaited World Cup at 19In 1998, only two players from the squad that played against Iraq in Doha went.

Japan hasn’t missed a single World Cup since then. All this is the result of reforms, the belief in which only strengthened after Doha. Just in 1993, the era of professional football began in Japan.

J-League – Asian Premier League. In 30 years, the Japanese created a pyramid of 60 professional clubs throughout the country (the goal is 100 such clubs)

Football appeared in Japan at the end of the 19th century, but for a long time was inferior in popularity not only to baseball, but also to sumo. The first championships were held more than 100 years ago, but the league that united the whole country was created only 19 years ago. 65th. This is the Japanese Soccer League (JSL), where the teams were owned by companies and played by amateurs who played football in their free time. Clubs known to us by the names of world-famous companies became champions in that league: Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Nissan, Yamaha.

The emergence of the J-League in 1993, Japan’s first professional championship, was a revolution. The third economy in the world and the population of 125 million disposed to build a commercially successful product.

It all started loudly: Zico and Gary Lineker arrived in Japan to finish the game, attendance soared to 20 thousand, but the increased interest in football was quickly beaten by the Asian crisis and the subsequent slowdown in the Japanese economy.

Something similar happened recently, when stars like Iniesta, Villa, Torres and Podolski re-entered the league after a long break, the average attendance exceeded 20 thousand, but now the pandemic has stopped the rise.

Still, the J-League, billed as the Asian Premier League, looks attractive in the region. For example, it is very popular in Thailand. In 2017, the league signed a 12-year, $2.1 billion contract with international streaming service DAZN. From the 2002 World Cup at home, Japan inherited the infrastructure that helps to attract spectators both to the stadiums and to the screen.

In 1993, the J-League struggled to gather 10 professional clubs, and now the country has 60 such teams, covering 41 of the country’s 47 prefectures. This is what helped the Japanese hope for success both in club football (the club World Cup final and three 3rd places) and at the national team level.

But this is only part of the journey. The Japan Football Association has developed a long-term strategy for 100 years, according to which in 2092 there should be 100 professional teams in the country. And in 2005, the federation presented a plan according to which the Japanese team should become the world champion by 2050.

Coach Moriyasu said the same thing recently: “Spain and Germany were world champions. Japan is also aiming to become world champion by 2050.”

It sounds ambitious, but the Japanese know how to solve the tasks. Thai coach Witthaya Laohakul, who worked in the J-League in the early 90s, described how the Japanese wanted to get to the first World Cup: “During the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Japan Football Association sent league coaches (two people from each team) to Italy to analyze the matches. After returning, we developed a plan to achieve the goal of reaching the World Cup.”

Here is an example of women’s football, where progress can be seen more quickly. At the first World Cup in 1991, the Japanese lost all matches in the group with a total goal difference of 0:12 and took last place. And already in 2011, they became world champions, defeating the formidable Americans in the final. At the next World Cup in 2015, Japan was stopped only in the final – the same Americans.

The Japanese understand that it is important for the development of football that clubs and academies cover the entire territory of the country as much as possible. Now the J-League already manages three professional divisions – 18 clubs play in the highest (from 2024 – 20). Next comes the semi-professional fourth division and below it are many regional amateur leagues.

Columnist Devon Rowcliffe (author of a book about football in South Korea) writes that in terms of multi-stage and development, the Japanese club pyramid is now inferior, perhaps only to the English one. For example, the Chiamo Hirakata club has taken off from the 11th division to the 4th in 18 years since its inception. Iwaki made an even sharper jump – in 2014 he played in the 9th league, and 2023 will start in the 2nd.

In order for a club to move from the fourth division to the professional third, it must enlist the support of the city and refuse to associate with the sponsoring company. But not everyone is ready for such sacrifices. British journalist Chris Hough , one of the main guides in Japanese football, , in an interview with Sports. ru told the following story:

“There is a club in the fourth division called Honda, which is owned by Honda. They have a very good team, I would say that this is generally one of the best teams in Japan. But they can’t get promoted to the third division because J-League clubs don’t have the right to be named after companies. That is, they need to throw out the word Honda and name themselves after Hamamatsu, the city in which they are based. But Honda doesn’t want to do this, so they continue to play in the fourth division and win it almost every year, because they are head and shoulders above everyone else. Moreover, in the Emperor’s Cup they constantly beat teams from the major leagues, every single year.

There are more Japanese players in the Bundesliga than in the J-League. The Japanese are attracted by their discipline and desire to learn

When there was only an amateur championship in Japan until the early 90s, rare professionals went abroad – the first such was Yasuhiro Okudera, who signed a contract with Cologne in 1977 and immediately won the German championship. Japan has a long association with German football.

Back then it was hard to imagine that in 2022 19 out of 26 players will come to the World Cup from European clubs. And three of those seven J-League players have already played in Europe, and Huddersfield’s Yuta Nakayama was injured at the last moment (he was replaced in the application for a player from the championship of Japan). The Bundesliga has delegated more players to the national team (8) than the J-League (7). Therefore, the players did not experience any trepidation when they came out against Neuer and Muller.

The movement to the west turned out to be gradual. Japan came to the first World Cup in 1998 with a completely home team, in 2002 there were already 4 legionnaires in the application, in 2006 – 6, and a real breakthrough happened in 2014 -12. For the 2018 World Cup, 14 players have already arrived from European clubs, plus Keisuke Honda from the Mexican Pachuca.

There are several reasons for the Japanese invasion of Europe.

1. Incredible desire for knowledge. When Zico came to Japan in the early 1990s and pointed out mistakes to his partners, the Japanese diligently wrote down his words for introspection. “Minutes before the next match, they took out these notes and reviewed them as if they were preparing for a test,” wrote Sebastian Moffett, author of The Japanese Rules.

Even after defeating Germany at the World Cup, coach Moriyasu thanked his opponent for the lesson: “Many Germans and many brilliant players and coaches have contributed and helped Japanese football. Japan has won today. Nevertheless, Japan wants to continue learning from Germany and the rest of the world. This is our plan for the future.

We believe that foreign leagues have contributed to the development of the abilities of our players, so we are very grateful and respect this. But regardless of the opponent, we strive to win.”

2. Mentality. Moriyasu noted the desire to win, but this was not always the case. Japanese football, which developed out of corporate leagues, was initially accused of lacking this aspiration. The same Zico was very angry that the players calmly had fun after the defeats and did not consider this a reason for frustration. The Brazilian asked the translator to raise his voice after him in order to change the attitude of the players to victories and defeats.

Another difficulty with mentality is respect for age. For a long time, a young player could not break into the base just because there is an older player in the squad. Therefore, no one was in a hurry – many took a break in their careers and graduated from universities. So, by the way, did Kaoru Mitoma from Brighton, who turned professional only at the age of 22 after studying at the university.

“To be honest, at that time I didn’t have the confidence that I would become a professional,” said Mitoma. – I saw Miyoshi and Itakura, who played in a team a year older than me, and did not feel confident playing at the highest level. Because of that, when thinking about the future, I thought it would be better to go to the University of Tsukuba.”

But Mitoma is only a few months younger than Miyoshi and Itakura. In the end, everything turned out well – everyone plays in Europe, and Mitoma and Itakura at the World Championships.

But in previous years, everything could have turned out differently – money helped break the tradition of ignoring young people. If earlier European clubs bought 25-26-year-old Japanese, now they are looking for more and more young players. Now Japanese clubs have seen the youth as an opportunity for growth, and the league has launched the 2030 Vision DNA Project, which aims to help develop young players and coaches.

Former J-League President Mitsuru Murai actively encouraged players to leave for Europe, hoping that one day they would return and enrich the league with experience. Here we return to the fact that the Japanese are turned to study.

“Good quality,” says Richard Allen, CEO of Yokohama. “It’s a double-edged sword – you want your best players to travel and play in Europe, but ultimately it has an impact on the league as well.”

In 2016, Japanese football officials went on a tour of Europe to learn from the best academies. Among them was West Ham, with whom the Japanese established close relations. And soon the boss of the London academy, Terry Westley, was offered the position of technical director of the J-League. And he agreed.

“Mentality is the number one reason,” Westley tells The Athletic about what attracts European clubs to Japanese players. “You get a player who wants to progress. If a young Japanese player is told to work, he will never get tired of it.

In Japan, we told the clubs from the very beginning that you can put a 17-year-old player in the starting lineup, that was unusual here. Now young players are already debuting at a younger age. Clubs are beginning to realize that there is a great return on investment in this.”

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