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You Have to Respect Japanese Fans Cleaning Up the Trash at Jerry World
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Netherlands and Japan played to a 2-2 draw in Dallas on Sunday afternoon.
Afterward, the Japanese fans cleaned up the trash in the seats because it’s a respect thing ingrained in their culture:
This is good. Could you imagine Cowboys fans cleaning up after themselves? No. They would be too busy beating other up. Plus, most of the trash is on the field itself, like that defense giving up 34 points to JJ McCarthy and the Vikings. Now That’s What I call Garbage, Volume 1.
But for real, this is cool as hell. Shout out to the Japanese. I found a writeup from 2018 during the Russia World Cup that explains it like this:
Japanese supporters have been cleaning up at world cup events since Japan first participated in the tournament in France in 1998. When asked about these clean-up efforts by media from another country, one of the Japanese players voiced the thoughts of the supporters with the Japanese words “you should leave a place more beautiful than when you arrived.”
Indeed, there is a Japanese proverb that says “As waterfowls move on to other places, they pass through without dirtying the water or making waves.” This is a lesson that anyone leaving a location should try not to leave behind an unsightly mess. Through their clean-up efforts, the Japanese supporters bring to mind an image of the waterfowl elegantly taking off from the water’s surface.
Being praised by countries around the world for cleaning up at the world cup was something that the Japanese were pleased about, but it also made them feel somewhat embarrassed. For Japanese people it is “only natural” to pick up the trash from somewhere you have been using. This idea is instilled in them from childhood when they are taught to clean up at home, and during compulsory education at elementary and junior high schools.
At elementary and junior high schools, the buildings are cleaned by the students themselves, rather than by cleaners. The students are split into groups of several people in a so-called “cleaning roster” and they clean the school building every day, taking turns to sweep and wipe the floors.
Very commendable. Respect to the Japanese fans, though it’s funny to think about this happening in Philadelphia. Johnny Doc would probably yell at them and claim they’re taking jobs from union laborers. Then the inflatable rat would be out front of “Philadelphia Stadium” for the next game.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com