Japan fans at World Cup opener stay behind to clean up garbage
Japanese fans added a layer of goodwill to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when they cleaned up a stadium after a contest their team did not compete in.
After the event’s opening game between Qatar and Ecuador, fans dressed in Japan’s national colors stayed behind to pick up bottles and food wrapping left in the seats.
Influencer Omar Al-Farooq from Bahrain recorded the situation and shared it on Instagram.
When Al-Farooq asked fans what caused them to clean up the stand they responded, “We are Japanese, and we do not leave rubbish behind us, and we respect the place.”
Additionally, the Japanese fans picked up Qatari and Ecuadorian flags that had been tossed to the ground and said that the two symbols “command respect.”
This is not the first time Japanese fans have acted with goodwill at an international event. They did the same during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Even after a 3-2 shootout loss to Belgium, supporters were seen picking up trash and cleaning the seats of Rostov Arena.