Japanese Fans Go Viral For Cleaning Up After World Cup Match — But Some Women Are Now Calling Out Men For Not Doing The Same At Home

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now in full swing, and while fans have already picked up plenty of highlights from the opening week, there were perhaps a few moments that stood out a little more than the rest. 

One of such highlights came when Japanese supporters turned their signature blue plastic bags into makeshift pom-poms, then stayed behind after their opening match against the Netherlands on June 15 to clean up litter left at the stadium stands. 

Now, Japanese fans cleaning up stadiums after matches has gone viral many times previously. But this time, there’s an unexpected twist to this familiar, wholesome situation.

The moment has sparked criticism from Japanese women online, with posts calling out Japanese men. The praise directed at male fans didn’t exactly go down well with everyone. 

The main issue? Apparently, they’re quick to clean up after watching a match, but not quite as keen when it comes to doing the chores at home. 

One viral post online showed an illustration drawing a sharp contrast between a male football fan tidying up at the stadium and the same man relaxing on the couch at home while a female family member does the dishes. The simple caption urged him to “please do it at home.”

According to one female netizen, while Japanese men cleaning up football stadiums has drawn plenty of attention, their contribution to household chores remains comparatively low by global standards. She argued that they should first take on more responsibilities at home.

Another added that while picking up trash is a nice gesture, people should also be aware that “Japanese men spend the least time on housework and childcare in the world”, adding that Japan “ranks 116th globally in gender equality”.

“In other words, they usually don’t know housework, but they do it when they know they’ll be praised,” she asserted. 

A more blunt comment read: “Attention football fans around the world! Japanese men never clean at home in front of women, but in situations like this, they suddenly become very enthusiastic about cleaning! Don’t be fooled!” 

According to the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, Japan ranks around 118th out of 146 countries, with recent years consistently placing it between roughly 110th and 125th, making it one of the lowest-ranked developed economies. 

Survey statistics also show that Japanese men spend about 41 minutes per day on unpaid work, including housework, childcare, and grocery shopping, while in comparison, Japanese women spend around 3 hours and 45 minutes. The gap consistently places Japan near the bottom globally for men’s participation in household chores.

With that in mind, although the gesture is commendable, it’s no wonder more Japanese women are urging men to step up at home first.