Japan's supporters showed that the best manners and traditions are engrained, no matter the circumstance, despite the significance of their victory over Germany that might have led them to celebrate late into the night.
The stands in sporting arenas are typically covered in used food trays, wrappers, and empty drink cups that spectators leave behind for someone else to pick up after the game.
Nevertheless, not when the Samurai Blue are in town.
Their players had just left the field after defeating the four-time winners 2-1 in their World Cup opener when the Japanese spectators at Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar stopped the festivities to clean up after themselves.
They did the same in the World Cup in Russia four years ago, most memorably following a 3-2 loss to Belgium in the round of 16, and they did it once more on Sunday during the first game of the 2022 tournament between hosts Qatar and Ecuador, a game in which their team wasn't involved.
In Japan, maintaining cleanliness is ingrained in people's minds when they are young.
According to Scott North, a sociology professor at Osaka University, cleaning up is one way Japanese people "show pride in their way of life," he told the BBC in 2018.
"Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviour that is taught in school, where the children clean their school hallways and classrooms," he added.
On Sunday, Japan's second Group E match against Costa Rica will be played. On Thursday, Spain will play.
However, their supporters are already victors even if they don't take home the World Cup.
