The Blue Samurai\u2019s fans are known for cleaning up stadiums before they leave. They cleaned up after the team\u2019s first game against the Netherlands at AT&T Stadium with NFL quarterback Jameis Winston pitching in<\/a>. Winston is a commentator for Fox Sports during the World Cup.<\/p>\n The reason can be explained by a Japanese proverb<\/a> about the importance of leaving no mess.<\/p>\n Cocomi Tran, who lives in North Texas, attended her first World Cup game Thursday. She called it a dream come true and said the behavior showed by Japanese fans is something ingrained in them from a young age.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Japanese schools and elementary, we\u2019re always taught to clean up after ourselves,\u201d Tran said. \u201cWe always do our own dishes, we feed ourselves for the cooking and for lunch, and we have like afternoon chores before the school starts. For them, it\u2019s not their home, so it\u2019s more so respecting other people\u2019s home and making sure that you make a mess and you clean it up, but I think that\u2019s all cultures. I think we also just do too much, but, it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n The tradition is not without its detractors. Some Japanese women complained about male fans<\/a> being praised internationally who don\u2019t live up to that reputation at home.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help mom do the dishes,\u201d someone posted on X, referencing a quote by political satirist PJ O\u2019Rourke.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s probably a guy among these people picking up trash, who has a young kid at home and left his wife to look after them to come watch the World Cup,\u201d posted another.<\/p>\n Nitran said she thought most fans cared about cleaning up after themselves but said her fellow Blue Samurai fans make it a spectacle.<\/p>\n \u201cThe blue bags, I mean, I think every country does think about themselves. It\u2019s just we have blue bags, so you see it,\u201d said Tran. \u201cI think every country does it, but it is nice to be known [for being respectful and cleanly], so I mean, props us, I guess, but also props other countries, they do that also.\u201d<\/p>\n Toby Tran, who also lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, echoed Nitran\u2019s words.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an Asian, I think that\u2019s really respectful just now I was cleaning up with them, and honestly, I would do that anywhere I would go,\u201d Tran said.<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s 1-1 draw with Sweeden will see the Blue Samurai<\/a> advance to the knockout stage and will pay Brazil at 12 p.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 9:41 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n