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Everything started at the match of Ivory Coast against Japan. We don’t cover any football news, but this time it’s something related to our mission. Namely – keeping our environment clean and more pleasant to be in.
It was a normal show. The African team walked away victorious with a 2:1 lead over the Japanese team. And, instead of just walking away, the Asian fans started collecting their trash in blue bags they were carrying with themselves. Surprising, I know, but it seems it’s a normal thing in Japan.
After a short research, Rubbish Begone found out, that rubbish collection is more than good manners. People simply want to live in a clean environment. They don’t have many trash bins in Japan, so they collect every bit of waste they produce and carry it home to dispose of it. This is especially true for mass events. Football matches, concerts, sakura (cherry blossom tree) viewing, manners overcome laziness.
The Japanese people have a word for this type of thing – atarimae. It means “common, natural”. And it seems this is quite common for them! The reactions towards this were mixed, but more often than not they were positive. In a few words – Japanese football fans earned the respect of the other countries.
There are some alternative opinions on the subject, but I don’t think they are very valid.
Feel free to make this type of behaviour “atarimae” for yourself, too!