Everyone has been so impressed by Japanese fans cleaning up after themselves but most probably missed this beautiful moment at the post-game (🇳🇱2 - 2🇯🇵) press conference.
Toward the end after reporters were done asking questions, 🇯🇵head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, asked to speak one more time.
🗣️ “May I speak?”
He turned to the Dutch reporters in the room.
🗣️ “I think there are many Dutch reporters here as well, so I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people of the Netherlands once again.”
Moriyasu explained that when he became part of the Japan national team, Japanese football still had no professional league.
🗣️ “I was trained by a Dutch coach named Hans Ooft. It wasn’t just me. Japanese coaches in general were greatly influenced by him, which has led to the development of Japanese soccer today.”
He also mentioned another Dutch figure who shaped his career.
🗣️ “The legendary Dutch coach Wim Jansen served as the manager for J.League’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima and also as a coach for Urawa Reds, contributing to Japanese soccer.”
🗣️ “It’s not just those two. Many other coaches and players have contributed to raising the level of Japanese soccer, so I want to express my thanks. Thank you very much.”
What a masterclass in graciousness and gratitude. Imagine after a high-stakes match, instead of basking in glory and bravado (well-deserved in my opinion), the coach took to the microphone to... thank his opponents publicly and sincerely.
Japan's cultural operating system prizes harmony (wa), respect for precedent, and gratitude as a form of strength, not weakness. Japanese sports culture reflects its broader society where you'll see athletes bow to their opponents, thanking referees, and even crediting rivals or mentors.
Think of sumo wrestlers, Olympic athletes, or even bullet-train staff apologizing for a 30-second delay.
The Japanese have this concept of On (恩) - it is the sense of indebtedness to those who came before or helped you. It's what you'd expect from a culture that truly prizes continuity.
Moriyasu was acknowledging a real debt to Dutch coaches like Hans Ooft (who coached Japan in the early 90s and helped professionalize the game) and Wim Jansen. Japanese football openly credits foreign influences - Dutch "Total Football" philosophy, German organization, Brazilian flair - while building something distinctly their own. Few nations do this with such little ego.
Japan is pure class
Jamie Carragher on Japan players displaying Wataru Endō's jersey after the dramatic 2-2 draw against the Netherlands national football team:
🗣️ “That moment after the final whistle said everything about this Japan team. They weren't celebrating a draw, they were playing for someone who should have been here with them.
When I saw the players holding up Endō's shirt, I thought it was powerful. This is a player who dreamed of leading his country at the World Cup, only for injury to take it away from him at the last moment.
People don't always understand how much that hurts. You spend years preparing for a tournament, making sacrifices, pushing your body to the limit, and then suddenly it's gone. Just like that.
What impressed me was how the squad responded. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they turned that disappointment into motivation. Every tackle, every run, every minute they fought against the Netherlands felt like they were carrying Endō with them.
And let's be honest, that equalizer in the 89th minute wasn't just about football. It was about emotion. It was about a group of players refusing to give up because they knew someone important was watching from home.
Moments like that can unite a squad. Sometimes a team needs something bigger than tactics and formations. Sometimes it needs a cause.
The scary thing for the rest of the tournament is that Japan now have one. And if they keep playing with that level of heart and determination, they could become a problem for a lot of teams.”