Japan fans tidied up after themselves after their team's opening World Cup game against the Netherlands in Texas (Charlotte Wilson) (Charlotte Wilson/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)
Japan supporters once again earned global praise after cleaning up their section of the stadium following their 2-2 World Cup draw against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday.
Fans remained in the stands after the match, carefully collecting litter and placing it into blue plastic bags.
According to 20-year-old supporter Eita Tanaka, the habit is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and begins at an early age.
“Japanese people think that when we use a certain place, we were told that you have to make that place look tidier when you leave than it was when you arrived,” he said.
Tanaka added: “For example, at school in our classrooms we tidy it up after ourselves without our teacher telling us.”
Japan fans have become famous worldwide for their clean-up efforts at major tournaments, and Sunday’s match was no exception. NFL quarterback Jameis Winston was also seen joining the exercise while wearing a Japan jersey.
Another supporter, Futo Hagiwara, summed up the tradition by saying: “This is our culture, that means everywhere we go we need to clean it after ourselves, it’s our spiritual way, our attitude.”
