Images of Samurai Blue fans cleaning up World Cup stadiums have garnered them widespread praise, but back in Japan, a post has gone viral complaining men rarely do so at home.
FIFA lauded Japanese fans this week on social media platform X for their "impeccable manners" that saw them tidy up the stands post-game, with pictures of men in blue avidly picking up trash.
Similar images have since proliferated online, but one X post went viral after claiming Japanese men aren't all that they are cracked up to be.
"Japanese men spend among the least time on housework internationally," read the post, which has been viewed 1.9 million times.
"Please do it at home," the post said, with a satirical illustration showing a fan who proudly cleans up the stadium is, in fact, relaxing on a sofa at home, oblivious to the pile of laundry and his wife or mother doing the dishes.
Japanese men participate notoriously little in household chores, with women spending 5.5 times more time than men taking on "unpaid work" such as shopping, domestic chores and caregiving, the Cabinet Office says, citing 2021 OECD data.
The gap is far greater than in Britain, France and the United States, where women spend 1.8 times, 1.7 times and 1.6 times -- respectively -- longer than men doing unpaid work.
While supporters describe the act of cleaning up the stadium as proof of Japan's cultural altruism, others have also seen it as slightly performative.
And opinions have been divided on the viral X post.
"Wives struggling with husbands who don't clean at all should have them wear Samurai Japan uniforms at home too," one comment said.
"This is too much of generalisation -- not all Japanese men are like that," another user wrote.
Japan's coach proud
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said Friday he was proud that the country's fans had forged a global reputation for tidying up after themselves at the World Cup -- as long as it does not put cleaners out of work.
Speaking on the eve of Japan's second group game, against Tunisia on Saturday in Mexico, Moriyasu said: "I think this is one part of the Japanese culture that we can be proud of in the world."
It extends to his squad, who left the changing room at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium immaculate after the game.
But Moriyasu said there was a possible downside.
"I have met Brazilian players, Brazilian coaches and people from different countries and then they would all point out something different," he said. "They said, by picking up people's garbage it would be clean, but wouldn't you be taking away the work from the cleaners? So I guess that is one way of looking at it."
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71 Comments
Newgirlintown June 20 06:20 am JST
It’s not just at home, and it’s not just men. The streets downtown around where I live in Japan are littered with all kinds of fast food wrappers etc in the morning. I even saw someone open their car window and throw trash out of it one time. But let’s just blame it all on ‘foreigners’ as usual.
nohyphenmad June 20 06:43 am JST
It's a performance for an international public pretending an image that is not true back home.
Tamarama June 20 06:43 am JST
Time to learn to cook for the ladies, boys. Stop being a passenger.
Nifty June 20 06:44 am JST
Whatever is true at home, their cleanup was something that made Japan look good in the eyes of the world. It's rather petty to diminish that fact.
sakurasuki June 20 06:47 am JST
not just at home, and it’s not just men
It's trying to show about Japan's image that happen in public stage, not necessarily in daily life.
In fact Japanese female professor who post that viral message.
https://x.com/UnseenJapanSite/status/2068065410788819398
https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/viral-please-home-poster-accuses-004512923.html
sakurasuki June 20 06:49 am JST
It's a performance for an international public pretending an image that is not true back home.
Anyone can easily validate this by going J-League or any other sport/entertainment event, most of spectator just went straight home or nomikai with their peers.
Eric June 20 07:06 am JST
Hypocrites at its peak !
mammola June 20 07:14 am JST
people keep on throwing away garbage, cigarettes, bottles every where in Japan
MiuraAnjin June 20 07:34 am JST
While supporters describe the act of cleaning up the stadium as proof of Japan's cultural altruism, others have also seen it as slightly performative.
Slightly? It's entirely performative (a new addition to my vocabulary TBH, but utterly apt in this instance).
Japan's beaches are the most trash-strewn I've had the displeasure to visit in a first world country.
Blacklabel June 20 07:40 am JST
A blind man could have seen this article coming.
tamanegi June 20 07:44 am JST
A lot of Japanese people are pushing back and are critical of this misperception l.
https://topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp/article/jprime/sports/jprime-42195?page=1
wallace June 20 07:49 am JST
Our local beach is perfectly clean.
Pukey2 June 20 08:02 am JST
So why is there garbage on the floor in the first place? The glaze of it.
tora June 20 08:13 am JST
But when the wife runs the household with an iron fist, it does make it all but impossible for the husband to help out then doesn't it? That is the way things geneally work in Japan, and I and every married man I know can attest to it.
Let the down votes begin.
NOMINATION June 20 08:21 am JST
I really want to use the Vicente Del Bosque "oof" gif here lol
yakyak June 20 08:24 am JST
Ever look inside a Japanese house? Far from pristine, just saying....
quercetum June 20 08:35 am JST
Moriyasu said: "I think this is one part of the Japanese culture that we can be proud of in the world."
Doing it just for show and not at home expecting their wives to pick up after them like a maid is not something to be proud of Moriyasu.
As one poster pointed out —Sanae doesn’t really believe what she says about Trump — tatemae is fake and insincere.
quercetum June 20 08:38 am JST
Ever look inside a Japanese house? Far from pristine, just saying....
The clutter looks like a hoarder’s home but they blame it on the lack of space.
Harry_Gatto June 20 08:47 am JST
yakyakToday 08:24 am JST Ever look inside a Japanese house? Far from pristine, just saying.... quercetumToday 08:38 am JST The clutter looks like a hoarder’s home but they blame it on the lack of space.
So, you looked into all of them have you? Ridiculous over-generalisation and blatant Japan bashing.
Taciturn June 20 08:47 am JST
The clutter looks like a hoarder’s home but they blame it on the lack of space.
Our house has plenty of space. The trouble is my (Japanese) wife likes to fill it with crap. Bags, unopened mail, hairbands, lipsticks and makeup brushes, clothes...
8T June 20 08:53 am JST
So, you looked into all of them have you? Ridiculous over-generalisation and blatant Japan bashing.
Japan bashing because a home is un-kept? Take it easy.
Cakewalk JP June 20 08:54 am JST
Be nice if they could clean up Shibuya and some of the beaches and mountain areas of Japan too.
Yotomaya June 20 08:57 am JST
The gap is far greater than in Britain, France and the United States, where women spend 1.8 times, 1.7 times and 1.6 times -- respectively -- longer than men doing unpaid work.
I realise that's not the focus of the article, but this is still really bad as well. Of course, it's much less than in Japan, but it means that, statistically, one person in every relationship (who mostly has a career as well), is doing almost twice as much work without compensation.
jib June 20 08:58 am JST
All people and countries have both admirable and flawed qualities. The media highlighting Japanese fans cleaning up a stadium tells only part of the story. Why not show the countless volunteers picking up trash along highways in the United States and Europe, or neighbors quietly improving their communities every day? Those stories exist too—they just don't fit the narrative or generate the same attention. Good citizenship isn't unique to any one nation; it's found wherever people choose to take pride in their communities.
Yotomaya June 20 09:04 am JST
You're right. I think why this portrayal of Japan specifically rubs a lot of people the wrong way is because there's this "cool Japan" narrative that can get really annoying. It's a bit like an insecure person constantly trying to tell everyone how great they are while avoiding any constructive criticism and opportunity to better themselves.
It's also the root of the xenophobia and mistrust a foreign-born person may experience while living here.
NOMINATION June 20 09:14 am JST
Anyone can easily validate this by going J-League or any other sport/entertainment event, most of spectator just went straight home or nomikai with their peers
I have been to many sporting events/concerts here. While people may not stick around and clean up the venue, they do clean up after themselves and take their trash with them.
Okikibi June 20 09:15 am JST
Japanese men: Yeah, I'll get right on that during the 5 hours I'm actually home everyday.
Taciturn June 20 09:22 am JST
Japanese men: Yeah, I'll get right on that during the 5 hours I'm actually home everyday.
They could use the five hours a day they spend asleep at their desks waiting for their boss to (wake up and) go home, or in their cars in the 7/11 carpark.
HereForTheCorrection June 20 09:31 am JST
Pretending used to work in Japan’s favour. But not anymore. We all been to Japan many times and have been following politics and media. You can’t fool us anymore. Keep cleaning but we won’t give you credit anymore. Because now we know it is just for show off which is THE culture.
KnightsOfCydonia June 20 09:45 am JST
Our local beach is perfectly clean.
You're lucky. mine? I can see every kind of discarded plastic rubbish washed up on my beautiful beach, local cleanups are every saturday but the rubbish piles up every day...
okinawarides June 20 09:45 am JST
KnightsOfCydonia June 20 09:47 am JST
While people may not stick around and clean up the venue, they do clean up after themselves and take their trash with them.
This is the way! Clean up your own damn mess and stop expecting others to do it. Maybe then these guys won't have anything to do after a match.
jib June 20 10:01 am JST
You're right. I think why this portrayal of Japan specifically rubs a lot of people the wrong way is because there's this "cool Japan" narrative that can get really annoying.
Yep, Japan is very cool—until it isn't.
TheClassicDude June 20 10:09 am JST
The haters will hate. Japanese cleaning up abroad is nothing new and I've been reading about it on JT for many years and even back then the haters can't resist seeing a positive news piece about Japanese people without putting in their two cents worth.
However there has been a social media trend the past few years to push back against the so called "Japan glazers," those who praise all aspects of Japanese culture. Much of this is no doubt due to petty jealous that Japan continues to get love despite the worldwide anti-Japanese propaganda pushed forth by elements such as the pro-CCP crowd. And undoubtedly a lot of these comments are made by non-Japanese.
But doesn't matter, these videos are overwhelmingly positive and full of admiration for Japanese culture.
wallace June 20 10:11 am JST
If men clean up at home when they get back from work will wake the kids up.
Yotomaya June 20 10:16 am JST
worldwide anti-Japanese propaganda pushed forth by elements such as the pro-CCP crowd
I think a lot of the commenters live here and have formed their opinions without any propaganda. And yes, these reports about Japanese fans are a true depiction of Japanese culture, i.e. behave when everybody's looking. Luckily, the world gets to see the second "throw a tantrum at any criticism" part in all its glory now. Nobody is jealous of insecurity and the need to constantly proove something.
Taciturn June 20 10:19 am JST
If men clean up at home when they get back from work will wake the kids up.
So women should do it when they bet back from work.
Taciturn June 20 10:19 am JST
The haters will hate.
It's not hate. Some people can just see it for what it is.
HopeSpringsEternal June 20 10:22 am JST
Article is accurate, men more 'calculating' with their good behavior, like chores, and want some public recognition. Same applies to volunteer work in Japan, like cleaning up parks, plenty of men, but likely not doing so much at home to help out. Sad but true reality!
Cephus June 20 10:22 am JST
Don't change, keep on cleaning the stadiums the haters and whiners will always be among us.
wallace June 20 10:26 am JST
If men clean up at home when they get back from work will wake the kids up.
So women should do it when they bet back from work.
If both wife and husband are returning home late from work, they will need help with cleaning, cooking, and child-minding.
In our house, I do most of the cleaning, cooking, and gardening. My spouse does the shopping and laundry. But we are at home 24/7.
WuzUrPCGuy June 20 10:41 am JST
I know many homes and locations may be a bit trashed, but I've been married to a Japanese national for 38 years and over those years have watched people everywhere i went. My late father-in-law was super clean and cleaned a lot when he could. My wife runs the household with an iron fist (thanks, Tora), and is almost ridiculous in her daily cleaning. To me with my limited view, and mostly staying home as i am a wheelchair-bound 100% disabled Marine, in general I see clean streets when I travel by train. I think in general, many Japanese people are generally cleaner than others. And yes Blacklabel, I could see this article coming. Lol.
Sailor Saki June 20 11:00 am JST
i haven’t read the X post but a simple claim women do X times more household chores than men is misleading as such. was this on an equal comparison basis like both partners working same hours at work ? After a typical 9’ hour work day and 3 hour commute total of only one is working the other one at home it’s a nonsense comparison , the conclusion. would rather be that some narrative is trying to be hilt here .
Taciturn June 20 11:13 am JST
Teamwork makes the dream work. It sounds like a good arrangement.
The_Beagle June 20 11:19 am JST
A quote from Alex Berenson's The Fatherhood Manifesto:
It’s time to speak up for fatherhood.
For decades, the media, cultural, and academic elite have mocked and derided fathers as part of a broader assault on traditional masculinity.
Feminist academics repeat the tired stereotype that men don’t do a fair share of housework or child-rearing, even as surveys show that millennial and Generation X dads are much more involved in raising their kids than their baby boomer fathers were. Television shows, ads, and children’s books endlessly portray fathers as irresponsible and stupid, while mothers are wise, all-knowing, and competent.
And the heavily promoted “gentle parenting” trend encourages endless negotiating with children – and discourages fathers from even basic discipline, like sending misbehaving kids to their rooms. Masculine virtues like stoicism, self-discipline, and respect for authority are nowhere to be found in this vision of parenthood. In gentle parenting, the only good dad… is a mom.
Oops I Posted Again June 20 11:20 am JST
Complainers are gonna complain.
USNinJapan2 June 20 11:47 am JST
Ridiculous. Of all the things you could criticize. Amazing how much effort some put into finding fault with something that's intrinsically good.
Dave Fair June 20 12:11 pm JST
The irony is that the problem stems from the fact that Japanese mothers do everything for their kids, including the girls and fathers sit on the sofas so it is ingrained and passed down to the next generation that kids and husbands are free of such matters!
My Japanese wife who lived with her parents until she married me at 45 years of age had never used a washing machine, hung laundry, used a rice cooker, or cooked a meal. Her mother took care of it all. My wife's father only went into the kitchen to get a drink from the fridge, and that was only when his wife was not there to get it for him, same as my grandfathers.
If the situation is to change, it really needs to start at childhood and mothers PREPARING their kids for adulthood and fathers living by example as role models for their boys.
As for my situation, my wife stays out of the kitchen nor does she touch the laundry and to be honest, it's probably for the better. Well, that's my take on the matter!
The_Beagle June 20 12:14 pm JST
Botchan came out in 1906. Natsume Soseki same the same papering Dave described so well above.
mikeylikesit June 20 12:35 pm JST
Women with children with often take off from work around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. to pick up children from daycare, whereas many men stay at work in until 9 p.m. or later, which is also technically unpaid.
A man can’t tidy up when not at home.
I’m certain that at least some men would gladly make the swap—women stay at work late and men come home early to cook and clean.
It’s a perverse work system, but it’s unfair to blame men for not minding the home when they are scarcely at home during waking hours.
And if a family chooses to live on one income, it’s nonsense to call the cleaning and cooking “unpaid.” The family has divided the labor. One spouse supports the other financially. The other spouse returns the support with a clean home and hot meals.
Abe234 June 20 02:08 pm JST
So the men who work late at night, working overtime, to get more pay, and maybe a larger bonus or promotion, while the wife is at home,picking up the kids, cooking or cleaning. So i wonder, can we flip it, the wife should go out to work, come home late, have dinner, and let dad take the kids to school, let dad come home early say 3pm to do the juku run, swimming pool run, dance school run, cook, clean and run the bath and then he can tell her to do MORE after 8pm or 9pm. after she goes out for her nomikai.
I think men and women have a different standards, and men seem to be getting bashed all the time, as though we are lazy good-for-nothings. many men i know work late, and their wife doesnt even have a part-time job, but complain and whine about money.
The are both important jobs. I wonder if all the putting down of men is actually good for our sons, and good for the daughters to witness.
StereotypicalBeach June 20 02:36 pm JST
When good behavior appears only in public, it raises the question of whether it is tatemae (建前) or genuine civic responsibility. I personally saw them littering in Shinjuku. But they just blame foreigners for this
falseflagsteve June 20 02:49 pm JST
Cooking is not a chore it’s a pleasure, well pour moi it is anyway
As for housework I do very little apart from cooking and I do buy most of the groceries. I only clean up my office which I’m often informed I do rather poorly. I am the only one working in out household mind and I work ruddy hard so I think it’s fair in our situation and my significant other doesn’t complain.
wallace June 20 02:56 pm JST
If you sing and dance while cleaning, it is no longer a bore or a chore.
SaikoPhysco June 20 03:14 pm JST
Bring back public trash bins in Japan and you might see people from all walks of life doing good deeds too.
ian June 20 03:31 pm JST
Don't women already do the housework? So they're just not gonna do it and wait for the men to come home from work to do it?
ian June 20 03:35 pm JST
StereotypicalBeach Today 02:36 pm JST When good behavior appears only in public, it raises the question of whether it is tatemae (建前) or genuine civic responsibility. I personally saw them littering in Shinjuku. But they just blame foreigners for this
I personally saw that it's the foreigners who were littering
Luis David Yanez June 20 04:00 pm JST
So, if you clean after a game, you get criticized...
Well, I think it would have been better to mot clean. Then there wouldn't be any controversy.
Wesley June 20 04:11 pm JST
Luis David Yanez Today 04:00 pm JST So, if you clean after a game, you get criticized...
The ones who are criticizing are mostly women. They have a constant need to find fault with men. It's the only way they can feel better about themselves.
See, even if Japanese men are doing something right ( such as cleaning up after a game), Japanese women will STILL find fault with them.
ian June 20 04:14 pm JST
Wesley Today 04:11 pm JST Luis David Yanez Today 04:00 pm JST > So, if you clean after a game, you get criticized... > The ones who are criticizing are mostly women.
Really? Howd you know
Wesley June 20 04:21 pm JST
"Japanese men spend among the least time on housework internationally," read the post, which has been viewed 1.9 million times.
And Japanese men spend amongst the most time at work to provide a home, food and utilities for the women to stay home and look after the children.......all while the men are being subjected to workplace abuse....and domestic abuse (wives' nagging, finding fault, etc) when they get home from the workplace abuse.
Wesley June 20 04:32 pm JST
ian Today 04:14 pm JST Wesley Today 04:11 pm JST Luis David Yanez Today 04:00 pm JST So, if you clean after a game, you get criticized... The ones who are criticizing are mostly women. Really? Howd you know
Go read the posts that the article mentions.
ian June 20 04:33 pm JST
Wesley Today 04:32 pm JST ian Today 04:14 pm JST > Wesley > Today 04:11 pm JST > Luis David Yanez Today 04:00 pm JST > So, if you clean after a game, you get criticized... > The ones who are criticizing are mostly women. > Really? Howd you know > Go read the posts that the article mentions.
nandakandamanda June 20 04:34 pm JST
One of my first surprises here after marrying a Japanese lady was whenever in company someone praised me for some little thing, she would protest, ”Oh, he only acts like this outside the house, but never at home.”
Wesley June 20 04:38 pm JST
"Please do it at home," the post said, with a satirical illustration showing a fan who proudly cleans up the stadium is, in fact, relaxing on a sofa at home, oblivious to the pile of laundry and his wife or mother doing the dishes.
It's women who wear the most clothes and are notorious for shopping for clothes (which they can afford because a man is paying for all her other bills). And it's women who use many dishes even for a simple meal.
Most men don't mind wearing the same clothes for days (especially if it doesn't stink) and most men don't mind eating with disposable utensils and plates.
Too much Laundry and dishes?
Stop buying so many clothes and stop using so many dishes then, Japanese women.
Wesley June 20 04:44 pm JST
nandakandamanda Today 04:34 pm JST One of my first surprises here after marrying a Japanese lady was whenever in company someone praised me for some little thing, she would protest, ”Oh, he only acts like this outside the house, but never at home.”
Read a post somewhere about something similar that happened to a man; every little praise that he got, his wife would try to take away his happiness by claiming ”Oh, he only acts like this outside the house, but never at home.”. His sister got fed up one day and told the wife: "Which home are you talking about? The one that HE paid for and is still paying for while you get to stay rent-free?"
That shut the wife up good.
JapanABC June 20 04:57 pm JST
Where I'm from it's the opposite. People keep their homes immaculately clean so that they can show it off proudly to friends and acquaintances to gain social points. In turn they any public event that sells food or beer into an apocalyptic wasteland.
Double standards deserve to be called out but at least the Japanese version bothers other people less.
syniksan June 20 05:54 pm JST
"Japanese men spend among the least time on housework internationally," read the post, which has been viewed 1.9 million times.
I was right when I called it out as a stunt on last week's article. Japanese men are bone idle.
smithinjapan June 20 06:29 pm JST
"While supporters describe the act of cleaning up the stadium as proof of Japan's cultural altruism, others have also seen it as slightly performative."
Only "slightly"? It's 100% performative. They know the cameras are on them. And I love this article and the women and men who point out these guys need to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to doing what actually matters -- helping at home, not just for the media and then going home to the sofa and asking what's for dinner.
ian June 20 07:45 pm JST
JapanABC Today 04:57 pm JST Where I'm from it's the opposite. People keep their homes immaculately clean so that they can show it off proudly to friends and acquaintances to gain social points. In turn they any public event that sells food or beer into an apocalyptic wasteland.
This one doesn't seem true either at least not generally.
ian June 20 07:56 pm JST
Anyway from now on maybe only the women Japanese fans should help clean up or were there no women among those who cleaned up?
Source: Japan Today
