‘The brain is wired to do cleaning’: Why Japanese fans tidy up stadiums

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 15, 2026 10:33 PM IST

Japan fans clean up trash in the stadium following the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Netherlands. (AP)

Shortly after Japan’s 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, a familiar sight unfolded at AT&T Stadium in Texas: Japanese fans cleaning up trash, putting it into blue bags they had carried in. The football world first witnessed the Samurai Blue supporters leaving stadiums spotless at France 1998, Japan’s maiden World Cup appearance. For those in Japan, it was no surprise. Cleanliness is not just a habit ingrained in their culture.

“In the Japanese system, cleaning begins at elementary school when the kids are six to seven years old. They will clean the classroom and the lobbies with brooms and wipes. They will serve food. Cleaning is linked to discipline and responsibility. When these kids go to university, this culture continues. This is what you are seeing at the World Cup. The brain is wired to do the cleaning,” said Dr. Randeep Rakwal, a professor at the Tsukuba International Academy of Sport Studies (TIAS), who was brought up in Daryaganj in Delhi and has lived in Japan for over three decades.

The reason Japan fans clean the stadium after each game. Respect. 🤝🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/o9qJUOLefY

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 15, 2026

Tokyo University’s official curriculum includes cleaning activities that fall within the non-cognitive category, skills considered as important as academic ones.

Haruka Takeda, a social scientist studying mental health in para athletes, points to a philosophy the Japanese carry even when they leave their shores. Kita toki yorimo kirei ni suru, or leave the place cleaner than when you arrived. “Many Japanese people are familiar with this idea from a young age. Children are taught to clean classrooms and public spaces themselves, so cleaning is not seen as someone else’s responsibility but as something everyone contributes to. For many Japanese football fans, cleaning the stadium after a match is a way of showing respect for the venue, appreciation to the host country, and consideration for the people who will use the space next,” said Takeda, a student at TIAS.

ALSO READ | How Kamada became Japan’s unlikely hero in World Cup classic vs Netherlands

The practice extends well beyond schools. In the community where Rakwal has lived for 25 years in Yatabe, residents gather once every two months to clean. “It is ‘Soji Shimasu’ or I will clean. To clear the lanes of overgrown grass, fallen leaves, the odd cigarette stub,” Rakwal said.

Japan is an aging society, and for elderly residents who can no longer participate, neighbours clean on their behalf. “If my wife says I have to join the cleaning if she is not there, I will plan my schedule and give the community cleaning priority,” he said.

For the people of Japan, cleanliness is not a habit. It is infrastructure. (AP)

It extends to businesses, too. White and blue-collar workers clean the area outside their company premises as a matter of course. “Every shop, company, business will do the cleaning. There is a Toyota showroom in my area,” Rakwal said. “They will be in their official dress, cleaning the surroundings.”

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Even a toffee wrapper is not carelessly discarded. In train stations, where bins are rare, the wrapper goes back into the pocket and home. “It is the same concept that has moved to the sporting world,” Rakwal said.

Rakwal traces the roots of this national discipline and cleanliness to a single moment. When Tokyo became the first Asian city to host the Olympics in 1964, the capital was transformed as a symbol of post-war Japan: gleaming buildings, cleaned waterways, and the first Shinkansen unveiled ten days before the opening ceremony. Omotenashi, selfless hospitality, became non-negotiable.

“Cleanliness started with the 1964 Olympics,” he said. “It was a directive that foreigners were coming, so Japan must be clean. Before the Olympics, Japan had a garbage problem. Tokyo Bay was contaminated. You couldn’t even fish. Then they cleaned up everything.”

In Dallas on Sunday night, the blue bags were doing the same work, in a different country, for the same reason.

Nihal Koshie is an Associate Editor and sports writer at The Indian Express. He is best known for his in-depth reporting and investigative work that often explores the intersection of sports and social issues. He is also a key member of the sports desk, which is based out of The Indian Express' office in Noida.

Professional Background

Role: Associate Editor (Sports) at The Indian Express.

Key Achievements: He is a two-time winner of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. He won the RNG award for 'Sports Journalism' for 2019 for his exclusive interview and follow up stories with sprinter Dutee Chand, who became the first Indian athlete to say she was in a same-sex relationship. He won his second RNG award in the 'Investigative Reporting' for 2023 for a series of exclusive stories related to sexual harassment charges levelled against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by the country's top women wrestlers.

Expertise: While he covers major sports, he is particularly recognized for his extensive reporting on Athletics, investigative stories and long-form news features.

Recent Notable Topics & Articles (Late 2025)

Nihal Koshie’s recent work reflects a focus on investigative and human-interest stories

Recent investigative pieces: He recently wrote a profile of an Indian teenager serving a jail sentence in Kenya after being embroiled in a doping scandal while chasing "Olympic dreams."

Wrestling: He continues to track the political and social fallout of the Indian wrestling protests, including the recent public appearances of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the political career of wrestler Vinesh Phogat.

Recent long-form features: The story of the rise of Kranti Gaud, the young fast bowler who was a key member of the ICC women's World Cup-winning team; The physics and science behind modern cricket bats

Podcast Presence

He is a guest and contributor to the "Game Time" podcast by The Indian Express, where he provides technical and social analysis of current sporting events.

Experience: 24+ years

Previous experience: Times of India (2001-2005), Daily News and Analysis (2005 to 2010)

Nihal joined The Indian Express in May, 2010

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