Japanese fans go viral after cleaning stadium following 2-2 draw with the Netherlands

After Daichi Kamada equalized in Japan’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, Japanese supporters drew attention for a different reason in the stands of Dallas’s stadium: they stopped celebrating and cleaned up after themselves. Photos of fans tidying the venue spread widely online and won admiration abroad.

The habit is well known in international football. Japan’s supporters have been seen cleaning stadiums since the national team’s first World Cup appearance in 1998. At the previous tournament in Qatar, Japanese fans were also filmed picking up trash not only at Japan matches but even at the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador.

The behavior is rooted in a Japanese saying, “Tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu,” meaning, “Leave the place as you found it.” It is taught from a young age and reflected in schools, where students clean classrooms, hallways and common areas themselves as part of lessons in responsibility and respect for the environment.

One fan told FIFA’s official website, “It’s in our culture. It’s about showing respect for everything. Respect for the players, the fans and the stadium that hosted us. We are grateful to be here, so we do not want to make a mess and leave it untidy. That is why we do it.” Japan next plays Tunisia on 21 June in Monterrey, where a win would boost its chances of advancing, and then closes the group stage on 26 June in Texas against Sweden.