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Japan fans left the stands spotless after their World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday, saying it was “Japanese culture” to tidy up after themselves.<\/p>\n
Spectators stayed behind after the 2-2 draw to make sure they left the stadium as they found it, meticulously picking up litter and stuffing it into blue plastic bags.<\/p>\n
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It is a habit first learned at primary school and Japan fan Eita Tanaka told AFP that “we have to think about everyone”.<\/p>\n
“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,” said the 20-year-old, clasping a beer and a couple of cups, and wearing Japan’s blue shirt.<\/p>\n
“For example, at school in our classrooms we tidy it up after ourselves without our teacher telling us.”<\/p>\n
Japan are appearing at their eighth straight World Cup and their fans’ cleanliness has become their international calling card.<\/p>\n
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NFL quarterback Jameis Winston could even be seen joining in the clean-up after Sunday’s game, wearing a blue Japan shirt with his name on the back.<\/p>\n
Japan fan Futo Hagiwara said he was proud that the behaviour of his countrymen had been recognised in a positive light.<\/p>\n
“This is our culture, that means everywhere we go we need to clean it after ourselves, it’s our spiritual way, our attitude,” he said.<\/p>\n
Sociologist and philosopher Masachi Ohsawa believes a mix of social responsibility and peer pressure is behind the fans’ behaviour.<\/p>\n
“While Japanese people tend not to take much interest in justice on a large scale — issues like global inequality, conflict or climate change — they are extremely sensitive to moral considerations on a smaller scale,” he said.<\/p>\n
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“When it comes to people who they share the same space with or have direct personal contact with, they feel a strong desire not to cause them any trouble or make them feel uncomfortable.”<\/p>\n
– School of life –<\/p>\n
Cleaning chores are a part of Japanese education from an early age, and children can be seen scrubbing floors and tables at schools every day.<\/p>\n
Public waste bins are scarce in the country, and people are expected to take their rubbish home with them.<\/p>\n
Getting rid of household waste can be a labyrinthine task that involves separating rubbish into different categories.<\/p>\n
Scott North, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Osaka, said he and his neighbours get together twice a year to pull out weeds and rake up cuttings.<\/p>\n
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He said such groups are organised into leaders and followers, and operate in a similar way to Japanese football supporters.<\/p>\n
“Since everyone comes together, there’s an expectation that they’ll act as a group,” said North, an American who has lived in Japan for about 40 years.<\/p>\n
“And when the leaders break out the bags and say here you go, nobody is going to say no.”<\/p>\n
Sociologist Ohsawa said such behaviour could be explained by what Japanese people refer to as “reading the air”.<\/p>\n
“In Japan, even if one person starts picking up litter, those around them feel they simply cannot help but join in,” he said.<\/p>\n
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“That’s because if they don’t, the people they are with will think they are a bad person.”<\/p>\n
He said peer pressure was a powerful social force.<\/p>\n
“In this case, the primary motivation isn’t so much a desire to keep the stadium clean or to avoid causing trouble for the people who have to clean the stadium afterwards,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s more a desire not to be seen as a nuisance in one’s own group.”<\/p>\n
Whatever the reasons, Japan’s fans will keep tidying up for as long as they stay in the tournament.<\/p>\n
Their next game is against Tunisia in Mexico on Saturday, and fan Hagiwara is happy to keep leading by example.<\/p>\n
“We usually don’t tell children they should do it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We just show our actions and behaviour, and other people follow.”<\/p>\n
amk\/dh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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