Japanese Fans Win Hearts As They Clean Up Stadium Post-Game At FIFA World Cup
A Japanese fan said, "We are Japanese. We do not leave rubbish behind us and we respect the place."
By Alia Kamelia — 22 Nov 2022, 11:10 AM
FIFA World Cup kicked off on 20 November in Qatar and millions of fans around the world flocked to the nation to spectate the exciting football matches
As fans leave behind a stadium with the feeling of victory (or loss), they also tend to leave behind piles of trash. This was the case at Doha's al-Bayt Stadium as many fans left behind garbage after the opening match between Ecuador and Qatar on Sunday.
In a viral Instagram reel by @omr94, the stadium was shown to be riddled with trash and empty food containers. However, a number of Japanese fans took it as an opportunity to help clean up the stadium before leaving. The video has garnered over 500,000 likes since it was posted yesterday, 21 November.
Equipped with large trash bags, these Japanese fans stayed behind after the match to clean up the excess waste left behind by other spectators
In the video, Japanese fans can be seen going through the rows to pick up stacks of bottles, food containers, and miscellanous trash left behind at the stadium.
The person who posted the video, Omar Farooq, decided to ask the fans the reason they were cleaning up everything
In response, one of the fans said, "We are Japanese. We do not leave rubbish behind us and we respect the place."
Apart from the piles of trash, these fans also collected the flags scattered all over, adding that "these command respect"
When asked if it was all for the cameras, a fan quickly denied the notion saying, "No, not for the cameras."
Since the video was posted, many netizens praised the Japanese fans for their values
Some users commented wishing everyone would learn from Japan and how they're clean and tidy people, while another user emphasised the importance of education and ethics.
One Japanese netizen commented that this act is based on a Japanese proverb that says "A bird does not foul the nest it is about to leave," which translates to cleaning up before leaving a place is common courtesy. Another user urged future spectators who will be attending to clean up after themselves after the match finishes.
