Japanese fans "certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday" when the national team beat Colombia, according to Andreas Illmer of the BBC. But after the team "swept Colombia off the pitch, Japanese fans also did their share of sweeping: meticulously cleaning up their rows and seats in the stadium." Equipped with "large rubbish bags they brought along," the fans marched through the rows picking up rubbish to leave the place "just as neat as they had found it." It was not "the first time" -- supporters of the "Samurai Blue" have "never failed to stick to their good manners." Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre said, "It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture. You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that's the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football." Senegal fans have been seen "doing the same at this year's World Cup" -- but it is the Japanese "who pioneered it and are now famous for it." It "is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan." McIntyre said, "They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it's often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can't leave it there" (BBC, 6/20).
In London, Adam Withnall reported one clip shared by Argentinian TV channel TyC Sports showed Senegal fans "scouring the stands for rubbish and assembling it in a single pile." It has been viewed more than 4 million times. The channel said in a tweet, "Senegal pulled off a historic victory. But instead of partying in the minutes after the end of the game, they tasked themselves with cleaning up their section before leaving. #Respect" (INDEPENDENT, 6/20).
