Recently, after the World Cup match involving Japan versus Netherlands, Japanese fans remained in the stadium to clear rubbish, which was praised by FIFA on its official X account. However, public opinion in Japan has raised doubts, asking, "In Shibuya, no one cleans up trash. Was it just showmanship?"
Some Japanese netizens shared comparison images, showing that "overseas people take out trash bags," while "after domestic fireworks events, trash is everywhere." Some commenters claimed: "It depends on whether white people are watching."
Overseas commentary also saw a reversal. Others criticized: "They perform cleaning up trash in front of American cameras, while talking about nuclear wastewater discharges."
Chinese mainland netizens commented: "Japanese people understand Japanese people best." "They care a lot about what Westerners think."
The tradition of Japanese fans cleaning up after matches started at the 1998 France World Cup. They brought inflatable blue bags into the stadium, used them during the match for cheering, and then turned them into trash bags after the game.
Japanese scholars commented, "Under international spotlights, cleanliness is finished to the extreme extent; when there is no external attention at home, public morality tends to slacken."
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