This is making the rounds on #JPN Soccer Twitter: a letter from #SamuraiBlue head coach Hajime Moriyasu to his younger self, taken out as a full-page newspaper ad by the JFA in December 2018.
"35 international 'A' matches and one goal. My numbers with the national team we by no means impressive, but I encountered frustration and growth in each and every match.
My first appearance was in May 1992 at the National Stadium."
2/
"I was a nobody, but at a Kirin Cup game I stood on the pitch as an NT player for the first time. We played Argentina.
We lost to their overwhelming strength. It was disappointing.
As a player, I didn't want it to end like that.
I wanted to fill that gap."
3/
"I wanted Japan to be able to take on the world's best, no, I wanted to be even better. I lost to the world, and gained a dream.
It became everything. I was obsessed.
But after overcoming so many struggles, I reached the door to the world and my dream cruelly collapsed."
4/
"October 1993, Doha, Qatar.
In the 90th minute, the ball went past my head, and the opponent headed as though it was slow motion, the ball lingering as it went into the net.
All l could do was watch.
I don't remember much after that."
5/
"Did we line up properly? Who did I talk to?
How did we get back to our hotel?
By the time I came to my senses I was crying on the hotel veranda.
I lamented so much, I blamed myself so very many times."
6/
"And in the middle of the greatest failure I'd experienced in my life, that's what I learned.
You have nothing if you don't win. There's nothing you can gain."
7/
"25 years later, now I'm leading Japan's national team.
Our challenge continues so that the dream I abandoned midway can become true.
The stage we're aiming for four years from now is Qatar, that place of destiny.
8/
"Finally, I want to say something to you who whose dream was destroyed on that day.
Make Japan stronger and beat the world.
We've cried enough tears of regret."
Japan NT Head Coach - Hajime Moriyasu - 2018.12.12
9/9
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Japan captain Maya Yoshida took a moment after Thursday's game to shake hands with Princess Hisako Takamado, a noted patron of Japanese sports who is an honorary president at a number of orgs including the Japan Football Association.
Her deceased husband, Prince Norihito, was actively involved in promoting soccer. The JFA's elite U-18 competition and their national training center in Chiba are both named after him.
Per Wikipedia, they were the first members of the imperial family to stage an official visit to South Korea in 2002, when they attended the opening ceremony of the World Cup. Norihito attended 19 (!) games during the tournament.
Mainichi's report on how the World Cup is So Over COVID-19 generating some attention.
The story notes that Japan and England among the few teams to require that reporters wear masks at news conferences, and that Japan's precautions particularly strict among participants.
- New players arriving at the #SamuraiBlue camp took antigen tests for 3 days to make sure they weren't incubating.
- Round tables at meals had odd number of seats so players wouldn't face each other.
- Media and players wore masks in mixed zones
A professor at the International University of Health and Welfare in Okinawa says "Japan & rest of the world are confronting pandemic differently; epitome of that is this World Cup. There are risks but if you consider state of society, they may be unavoidable."
Reo Hatate appeared on soccer variety show Yabecchi Stadium alongside former Frontale teammate Kengo Nakamura.
Asked what left a strong impression at Celtic: "The support... If you play well they applaud, but if you play poorly they boo. I'm thankful for it either way."
"There's a local Italian place that me and Daizen (Maeda) frequent, but the owner never charges us... we've been there dozens of times. Soup, salad, pasta, dessert, all of it."
They recorded a video message from Kyogo Furuhashi.
"Reo, are you getting nervous as usual while talking? You've got this!"
On his 45-minute appearance against Vietnam: "Honestly I would have liked to play longer, but I was able to play as an inside half and I felt like I was pulling off the same plays I did at Celtic."
"The 4-3-3 system reaffirmed the importance of improvisational - the three midfielders understanding each others' ability and what they want to do in an instant so that they can perform at their maximum. I had two shots but I was disappointed we couldn't make more of them."
I am sitting inside an empty Saitama Stadium, crowd noise is being pumped in, and it sucks.
But I think outsiders need to show a bit more understanding/sympathy about why we reached this point and what Japan's attitudes are toward these Olympics and in regards to COVID-19.
The messaging from Tokyo 2020, the government and the IOC has never been consistent, which is a big part of the problem. The messaging from the IOC in particular has, quite frankly, been really patronizing - just a series of middle fingers to the Japanese public.
That CV19 has been gained a reputation here as a Dangerous Foreign Disease is problematic, and is reflective of a lot of deep-seated xenophobia issues Japan is a long way from reconciling.
But it's not Tokyo 2020's job to solve that - it's their job to work around it.
The first sign that the Olympics are happening at Saitama Stadium is some bunting on the bus stop at Urawa-misono Station. No shuttles for media or volunteers so it’s a 1.3km walk to the stadium for us. #Tokyo2020
Some Captain Tsubasa art displayed at the nearby community center.
We are very lucky to have cloud cover right now. Imagine what this walk would be with 60,000 fans in full sunlight.