4 min readJun 15, 2026 09:13 PM IST 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 a habit. It is infrastructure. “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, who traces his roots to Daryaganj in Delhi and has lived in Japan for over three decades. Tokyo …