Japan's Women's World Cup team cleans stadium, leaves note after opening victory

[Source]

Japan has continued its tradition of cleaning up after themselves at the 2023 Women's World Cup.

The team: The women's national team left their locker room spotless after their 5-0 victory in their opening match against Zambia on Saturday, also leaving behind a thoughtful "arigatou" — "thank you" in Japanese — written on a white board.

FIFA thanked the team in turn with their own post on Twitter the same day.

The country's men's national team likewise went viral at last year's 2022 FIFA World Cup for the same reason after defeating Germany in a shocking upset.

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The fans: The team's impressive act of tidiness was continued by its fans, who were caught on video by the BBC patrolling the stadium stands with trash bags after the game.

Japanese football fans have gained a reputation for being Good Samaritans, having made headlines multiple times during the World Cup in 2022 and 2018.

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Their efforts in 2022 prompted FIFA to release a tribute video to Japanese fans, highlighting their passionate support for Samurai Blue and their dedication to tidying up.