Heartwarming reason Japan fans brought blue bags to World Cup match as they're praised for 'inspiring' gesture

Japanese fans have been praised by the rest of the world for an incredible and 'inspiring' gesture following the conclusion of their World Cup tie against the Netherlands.

Japan scored late on at the Dallas Stadium in Texas on Sunday (June 14) to secure a 2-2 draw, but it's what their supporters did after the full-time whistle that's grabbed many people's attentions.

As you'd probably expect with such a big sporting event, the stadium would have been littered with empty beer cups, food trays and everything in-between once the soccer had finished, though Japan's supporters decided to stay behind and assist the clean up efforts.

It's not the first time Japan's fans have been spotted helping out as cameras captured their supporters helping clean up stadiums at both the Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018 World Cup's.

The fans in Dallas yesterday even brought blue bin bags with them so they could tidy up their mess at the end of the game - but why do they do it?

Well, experts in Japan say they cite a proverb: "tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu," which translated to English means: "stand up, take care of it, without leaving any traces behind."

Most Japanese supporters are taught from a young age to leave a place as they find it, a principle that carries through to adulthood.

While those in the West may see the gesture as extremely heartwarming, the Japanese see clearing up after themselves as standard behavior.

Nonetheless, many have taken to social media to praise the Japanese fans, including one account that described the soccer fans' actions as 'inspiring'.

They said: "This is such a great tradition. Japanese soccer fans at every World Cup game bring blue bags with them and clean up trash after the game that they left behind. So, stadiums are often cleaner after the game than when it started. Classy team and admirable fans showing respect."

"Another reminder Japanese culture is superior," a second added, while a third remarked: "Just a regular day for them. Very respectful."

Pictures on social media show the Japan team left the locker room in a spotless condition too.

Makoto Hasebe, who captained the national team at the 2018 World Cup, told press at the time: "I am truly proud of our staff. The same goes for the supporters. Since I usually live abroad and have had many opportunities to visit various countries with the national team, I often feel that there is no country with streets as clean as Japan’s.

"I believe that Japan as a place and the Japanese people possess a wonderful spirit. I am proud of this, not just as a football player, but as a Japanese citizen."