Fans Applaud Samurai Blue’s Efforts after World Cup Exit

Tokyo, June 30 (Jiji Press)–Fans applauded the fight put up by the Japanese men’s national soccer team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, after its exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. After advancing to the knockout stage by finishing second in its group, Japan lost 2-1 to soccer powerhouse Brazil in Houston, Texas. Despite kickoff being scheduled at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Japan time, about 200 people gathered at a public screening venue in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward. Following a bout of silence after full time, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers of appreciation for the team’s endeavor. “I hope (Japan) wins the next World Cup by building on the experience it gained from going toe-to-toe with the world’s soccer heavyweights,” said Tsunehito Shirakata, a 42-year-old corporate employee from Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, who watched the game with his wife. The couple wore matching headbands that said “Japan Victory” in Japanese. Hironori Koizumi, a 41-year-old company worker from Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, said, “While (the defeat) showed the strength of the world, (Japan) offered an impressive fight.” “I’m filled with pride,” he added. Before the match, many young people gathered at the famous scramble crossing in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, chanting, “Nippon!” They comforted one another after Japan’s World Cup journey ended, saying that the game was “close” and that the Asian nation will “win” the next World Cup in four years’ time. “I hope that (the team) will return home with their heads held high,” Mei Uehara, 19, from the central Japan city of Niigata said. A bar in Tokyo’s Minato Ward was crammed full with about 70 fans watching the game on a screen. Most of them were from Brazil, with screams and cheers echoing inside the room after Kaishu Sano scored a goal to put Japan ahead in the first half. At the final whistle, fans of both teams hugged one another, with many seen congratulating and praising each other’s teams. “I let out a scream when Brazil scored the winning goal,” Vanessa Farias, 27, a Brazilian fan, said in Japanese. In the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki, the hometown of Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, about 20 people cheered the team on at an “izakaya” pub. The pub’s owner, Norihiko Higuchi, 56, a childhood friend of Moriyasu, said, “While (Japan) drove (Brazil) into a corner, (the outcome) was a shame.” Speaking about Moriyasu, Higuchi said, “I’d like to thank him for all the hard work he has put in, and that I hope he takes a well-earned rest.” Reflecting on Monday’s match, Ritsu Doan of Japan, who donned the captain’s armband for the game, said that Brazil was “a flawless team, especially in the second half.” Daizen Maeda, who started the game, said that the result “doesn’t change what we have worked on so far.” “I’d like to return to Japan with my head held high,” he added. Speaking to the media after the match, Moriyasu said that the gap between Japan and Brazil in terms of soccer is “closing.” Saying that Japan had a “chance” of winning the tournament, Moriyasu added, “Our national team has grown stronger.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]