Why you may see Japanese soccer fans cleaning up the stadium after World Cup games
TOKYO, April 28, 2026 (AP) — If there’s one country guaranteed to clean up at the World Cup, it’s Japan. Literally. Scenes of Japanese soccer fans sweeping stadiums and picking up trash after a match first drew public attention in France in 1998 — Japan’s first appearance in the World Cup. The tradition has continued every four years. It happened at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and it’s certain to continue when Japan opens play in June with group games in Arlington, Texas, and Monterrey, Mexico. The cleanup astonishes non-Japanese who might be accustomed to leaving stadiums and