At each of their men’s World Cup appearances since 1998, Japan’s fans have made headlines for cleaning up their sections after matches. On Sunday, they received help from a special guest — Jameis Winston.
The New York Giants quarterback is a Fox Sports World Cup correspondent and assisted with coverage of the Japan-Netherlands match in Dallas on Sunday. It marked the opening match for both countries in this tournament.
Before the game, Winston walked with Netherlands’ “Orange Army” fanbase. Following a thrilling 2-2 draw, Winston headed to the stands and assisted Japan fans in cleaning up. It’s a tradition the fans began in 1998 during their first World Cup appearance.
Winston rocked a custom Japan jersey with “No. 4” and “Winston” on the back and carried a blue bag to collect trash.
The explanation for Japan’s tidiness is a simple one.
The Japanese are taught in school to clean their school classrooms and hallways with those basic behaviors then becoming habits for the population, Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University, explained to the BBC in 2018.
“In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us,” North said.
Japanese fans do the same at other major sporting events, including the Olympics.
But the change Sunday was the inclusion of Winston, the veteran quarterback who is entering his 12th NFL season.
