Japan followers keep behind at Wembley to wash up stadium after beating England in pleasant

Following their team’s historic first victory over England Japanese fans scrubbed the terraces – and Wembley chiefs were swept away by their kind efforts

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Japan really cleaned up at Wembley by beating England for the first time – then scrubbing the terraces afterwards. The Samurai Blue outclassed the home nation on and off the pitch.

After their historic 1-0 victory over Thomas Tuchel ’s Three Lions in Tuesday’s pre-World Cup friendly the team’s fans swept their opponents away in the stands too.

Celebrating supporters whipped out bin bags and started cleaning up after themselves. The away fans’ section was spotless by the time they had finished.

Wembley officials were so swept away by their efforts they posted video footage of fans putting litter into rubbish bags online with the caption: “Thank you.” One fan replied: “Coming to our country, beating us up, and then still cleaning for us? Damn. That’s some sort of respect. Thank you Japan and respect.”

Another wrote: “The Japanese are among the most humble people in the world. Respect.”

A third added: “It’s called respect, we can learn a lot from them.”

“Knew we should have played a sweeper,” added another.

After boss Hajime Moriyasu’s team beat Scotland at Hampden Park on Saturday night Japanese fans also left their section of the stadium spotless.

The nation’s supporters have a long history of post-match clean-ups and were given a FIFA award for their efforts at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Not only did they clean the stadium after their landmark 2-1 victory over Germany at the tournament but a group of 30 who went to watch Qatar play Ecuador scrubbed those terraces too.

The practice – widespread at the nation’s J-League matches – first emerged when they went to work after Japan’s 2-1 win over Colombia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It briefly sparked a trend with Senegalese supporters seen tidying up following their win over Poland.

Japan’s players are also known for leaving changing rooms spotless. After the Germany win not only did they leave their dressing room immaculate but they left behind origami swans and a ‘thank you’ note in Japanese and Arabic.

In Japan cleanliness forms a huge part of culture and is instilled in folk from an early age.

Scott North, a professor of sociology at Osaka University, said tidying was a way of ‘demonstrating pride in the Japanese way of life’.

“It’s not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture,” he said. “You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that’s the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football.

“Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school where the children clean their school classrooms and hallway. With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population.”

According to Japanese supporters’ website Samurai Football cleaning up after matches was ‘second nature’ win, lose or draw.

In school clean-ups are known as ‘souji’ which are designed to teach children ‘how to care for a shared space’.

The website said: “A shared space is a collective responsibility. Cleaning up after oneself became a normal, almost automatic act. At the stadium this logic applies naturally – we enjoy a collective moment so we also take responsibility for what comes after. Cleaning a stadium is not seen as a chore by Japanese fans but as a sign of respect.

“Many fans explain that they feel ‘invited’ to a place, sometimes even to a host country, and that it would be inappropriate to leave litter behind.

“This attitude is often linked to the concept of omotenashi – a form of Japanese hospitality based on mutual respect and quiet consideration. Picking up litter then becomes a discreet way to say thank you without speeches or demands.

“It’s a shame to waste, damage, or treat things disrespectfully. “This notion permeates everyday life far beyond the realm of sports. Applied to stadiums it simply means that a place that has hosted thousands of people deserves to be kept clean. Not out of an obsession with cleanliness but because the place has value and shouldn’t be unnecessarily degraded.

“In many countries the stadium is seen as a place of consumption – you pay for your ticket so someone else will clean up. Japanese fans reverse this logic by showing that the role of spectator does not negate individual responsibility.”

Tsun-san, who heads Japan’s Chonmage – aka Topknot – supporters’ group which won the FIFA award, said at the time: “We’re not going to claim credit as pioneers when it comes to litter-picking. It is also something you see very often at J-League stadiums in Japan.

“We are just building on what people did before us because it feels like the right thing to do. What would please me, however, is if this coverage and publicity encourages more overseas supporters to follow our example.”