How Japanese Fans Watch the World Cup ⚽ ｜ Japnese Daily Podcast

Hello everyone! Welcome to Japanese Daily Pod Guest. Today we bring you a brand new episode! Yes, everyone, I'm really excited today because the World Cup final is just three days away! I can't wait for the match between Spain and Argentina on July 19th. It's finally here—the final is between Spain and Argentina, which is truly exciting. It turned out to be a heated match, so today's theme is how Japanese people enjoy the World Cup final. Let's talk about it. What a wonderful topic. Although the Japanese team has already exited the competition, Japanese soccer fans still... You'll definitely watch the World Cup final, right? Well, that's true— for Japanese soccer fans, the World Cup is a special festival. Which team does Yui support, Spain or Argentina? I support Spain. Spain's teams have such beautiful passing. It's because the uniform colors are passionate and cool. Haruki, which one are you cheering for? I'm supporting Argentina. I really like their playing style—never giving up until the very end, just like a South American team should. After all, there are many famous players too. I see, indeed the passion of the Argentine players is amazing. But there's one major issue for Japanese fans wanting to watch this year's final match, isn't there? Yes, that's right. As many of our listeners already know, the biggest obstacle when watching sports from overseas while in Japan is the time difference. When it starts, the time difference really makes things difficult, you know. Yes, this World Cup is being held in a place that has a significant time difference from Japan. The match times are sometimes in the middle of the night or early morning in Japan. That's right—this time, the final match will start at an extremely early morning hour in Japan time. I'm really worried I'll be able to wake up. Yuu is not good with mornings, after all. But many Japanese people set multiple alarm clocks to wake up early to watch the game. I myself plan to set my mobile phone alarm to go off five times, every five minutes. I asked even my friends to call and wake me up if they noticed I wasn't awake. That's really thorough, isn't it? However, most Japanese people work from Monday to Friday. After watching the final match, many of them go straight to work. Wow, that sounds really tough. Working while sleep-deprived must be absolutely exhausting. That's exactly right, so the morning after the World Cup final, the trains in Japan were... It will become something very interesting. What happens when something is interesting? Most of the office workers on the train have red eyes from lack of sleep and are yawning. You can immediately tell that everyone probably watched soccer yesterday. I see. Even without speaking words, we can sense that we're both sleep-deprived, and saying "You must be exhausted" feels like a heartfelt connection. Indeed, that's exactly right. Some people even apply for paid leave from work just to watch the final match, so you're taking time off work for soccer, right? But it's a major festival held every four years, so I completely understand that feeling. I feel like taking a break myself. By the way, Yui, where do you plan to watch the match? Are you going to watch it alone at home? I'm planning to gather some friends at my place and watch it together. But honestly, I'd also love to visit a sports bar. Wouldn't it be fun to cheer together with everyone while drinking alcohol? That's great. In large Japanese cities like Tokyo, there are many sports bars in areas such as Shibuya and Shinjuku that have large screens. Even strangers there cheer together, and when a goal is scored, they high-five and celebrate—it looks so fun. But, Shunki-san, may I ask you a quick question? Lately, I've been seeing the term "young fans" quite often in the news and on the internet. Some foreign listeners might also be wondering, what does this mean? Ah, that's a very good question. This is a phrase often used in Japanese news. "Ni waku" means "suddenly." Basically, a "new fan" refers to someone who suddenly becomes a soccer fan only during major events like the World Cup or the Olympics. I see. You're talking about people who don't usually watch soccer matches but only learn the rules and enthusiastically support during the World Cup, right? You're absolutely right. In fact, up until just a short time ago, the term "niwaka fan" wasn't used with particularly positive connotations. Oh, is that so? Then would I get in trouble if I, someone like me, went to a sports bar? No, no, please don't worry. Lately, its meaning has changed and it has become a very positive word. Sports commentators and genuine soccer fans alike also use it. We warmly welcome all young fans; let's have fun together. I'm relieved to hear that. Enjoying the festival together as one big happy family is truly the most important thing. Then I'll proudly support you as a young fan too. Yes, please enjoy yourself thoroughly. In Japan, public viewing events are also popular, not just sports bars. What exactly is a public viewing event? We gather at movie theaters or large event venues to watch the matches together on a huge screen. With hundreds or even thousands of people cheering together, it feels just like being at a real stadium. Wow, that's really impressive in its power. But I'll watch it with my friends at home right now. I want to relax in my pajamas since it's so early in the morning. That sounds nice too, but there's one thing you need to be careful about when watching soccer at a Japanese home. What, you mean pay attention to something? Is it not forgetting to buy delicious snacks? Of course, that's important too, but what I want to emphasize is about sound. Are you saying I shouldn't make a loud noise? That's right. Japanese apartments and condominiums sometimes have relatively thin walls. Moreover, the game times are in the middle of the night or early morning. The person next to you might be sleeping, right? Honestly, if I shouted "Goal!" out loud at 4 a.m., I get scolded by the neighbors nearby, you know. That's exactly why Japanese people don't shout when a player scores a goal, but instead quietly give a small fist pump. I often end up silently shouting "Yes!" inside my head while posing. I really need to practice celebrating without making a sound. But it's also kind of fun, like a secret party, celebrating silently with friends. There are also such ways to enjoy yourself. By the way, do you eat or drink something while watching the match? Of course I do. The night before, I go to a convenience store and buy a lot of food. I'd like to buy potato chips, chocolate, and fried chicken too. Japanese convenience stores are open 24 hours, so they're very convenient, aren't they? It's really convenient for soccer fans that you can buy warm food even at night. Yes, and drinks are important too. I'd like to watch it while drinking beer, but since it's early in the morning I'm hesitating. People who have to go to work or school after the game can't drink alcohol, after all. That's why in Japan, non-alcoholic beer—a beverage that tastes like beer but contains no alcohol—is very popular, especially for such occasions. I see, it's non-alcoholic beer. In that case, I can enjoy the atmosphere of beer and still carry on with normal activities after the game. I'll buy it too. Please try it out for yourself. And there's another interesting culture among Japanese soccer fans. Please tell me what it is. It's garbage collection. Japanese fans clean up the trash around their seats after watching a match at the stadium before leaving. This has been widely featured in news around the world. Ah, I've heard about it. Not only did we watch the Japanese team's match, but after viewing matches from other countries as well, everyone gathered together. I heard you're picking up trash, right? Yes, that spirit is actually similar to sports bars and public viewings. And it's the same at my own home. After enjoying the festival together, we clean up properly before returning to our daily routine. That's typical of Japanese style; I think it's a wonderful culture. I also plan to have everyone clean up the room's trash together before my friends leave. That's great. Now, since the time is drawing near, let's summarize today's conversation. Japanese people are watching the World Cup final while battling the time difference. I'll enjoy it to the fullest even if I'm sleep-deprived. Some people quietly cheer at home, while others get excited at sports bars. And we warmly welcome all Nishikawa fans! The best part is enjoying ourselves together. You're absolutely right. Now, let's announce today's best phrase entries. The first is the final match; the second is the time difference. And the third one is encouragement. Every one of these words is very useful when talking about sports. You're right. Please try it out for yourselves. If you found today's episode helpful, please give it a like and subscribe to the channel. You are a great source of strength for us. How do you, listeners, watch the World Cup in your own countries? Do you watch it with your family or go to a bar? Is there a time difference? Please let us know in the comments! I'd also like to learn about your country's culture. Looking forward to your comments. Well then, that's all for today. See you next time on the Japanese Daily Podcast. Bye-bye, the final match on July 19. Go, Spain! Go, Argentina! Let's all enjoy it together!