Proud of Japanese Soccer Fans for Picking Up Trash at World Cup Stadiums

After Japan caused a massive upset by beating four-time champions Germany in their opening group game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on November 23, many photos and videos showed Japanese supporters meticulously cleaning the stands at Khalifa International Stadium, picking up trash scattered across the rows of seats.

As the photo above shows, Japanese fans can be seen holding trash bags bearing The Nippon Foundation logo that are filled with rubbish they collected at the stadium.

The foundation produced and distributed the environment-friendly plastic trash bags, containing more than 50% biomass plastic made from plants, as part of a nationwide beach cleanup campaign.

I was really pleased to see that the supporters brought the trash bags with them to Qatar and put them to good use. Perhaps their dedication contributed in some way to the Samurai Blue’s victory over Germany and later Spain.

Tackling garbage is a global issue. I would like to commend not just the Japanese players for their stunning victories over two former world champions but also those supporters for showing how important it is to them to clean up after the match. It would be great if this attitude spread throughout the world.

With that in mind, The Nippon Foundation plans to hold a world congress in Japan next year, focusing on cleaning up trash at sports events.