Japan's World Cup fans clean stadium after match—a 28-year tradition
Japanese supporters stayed behind after their Sunday match against the Netherlands to clean the Dallas stadium, upholding a respect-based custom that began when Japan first qualified in 1998.
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Japan's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Sunday in Dallas might have been a tie on the pitch, but what happened after the final whistle stole the spotlight: thousands of Japanese supporters stayed behind to clean the entire stadium.
Fans brought blue plastic bags to wave during the match, then used them to collect trash left in the stands. The gesture stems from a tradition that began when Japan first qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1998—a simple principle of leaving the venue cleaner than you found it.
Current Fox Sports FIFA World Cup correspondent and former NFL quarterback Jameis Winston joined in, holding a blue trash bag while wearing a Japan national team jersey.
The cleanup extended beyond the stands. Japanese players left their locker room in immaculate condition, with used towels neatly folded, garbage bagged, and every player stall spotless.
When asked by a FIFA official why the team's supporters do this, one Japanese fan explained: "That's our culture. It's respect for everything: the players, supporters and the stadium. We are honoured to be here, so we don't want to make a mess and then leave it."
In Japan, cleanliness is viewed as a shared responsibility rooted in the concept of meiwaku—a social principle centred around avoiding things that create discomfort for others. Japan is often regarded as one of the world's cleanest places to visit, despite few street-level trash bins. Residents routinely take their garbage home with them.
Japan will play Tunisia on June 20 in Monterrey, Mexico, before returning to Dallas for their final group-stage match against Sweden on June 25.