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We caught up with the Japanese national team the day before their match at “Jerry World” – aka Dallas Stadium – for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
We had walked around downtown Dallas after a wonderfully heavy Tex-Mex lunch, seeing a city completely caught up in World Cup fever.
Soccer fans gather in a FIFA World Cup Fan Zone in a downtown Dallas park to watch live tournament action on a giant outdoor screen. (Bryan Preston/Pakinomist Digital)
When we found out that Team Japan was staying at the W Hotel just a few blocks away, we decided to brave the 90 degree Texas heat and stop by to see what was going on. Our timing could not have been better.
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As we hit the corner of Nowitzki Way and Houston Street — aptly named for an NBA legend and a Texas Revolution hero — police blocked off light traffic Saturday afternoon.
A motorcycle cop flashed his lights and blared his siren, and then we saw it: a massive bus decked out in blue, with the unmistakable red disc of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The bus pulled up towards W and we moved towards the barrier. A dozen Japanese fans waved and jumped as if a J-Pop band had just arrived, shouting the players’ names as they got off the bus.
They were just returning home from their local training base at SMU, but the energy was already electric.
Japan’s FIFA World Cup 2026 team bus arrives under police guard at a host city ahead of tournament activities. (Bryan Preston/Pakinomist Digital)
As social media has proven since the tournament started, Japan is absolutely soccer-mad. Example:
What prompted these deafening chants long before kickoff?
Just a live broadcast of the team getting off the bus at the stadium. No warming up, no kicking a ball – just go to the dressing room.
Japan and the Netherlands will be honored during a FIFA World Cup pre-match ceremony as giant national flags are displayed across the pitch before kick-off. (Bryan Preston/Pakinomist Digital)
It’s hard not to root for Japan these days. As the country enjoys an unprecedented wave of global popularity thanks to tourism, food and pop culture, their soccer fans have risen to the top of the world stage.
They are passionate, incredibly friendly and famously respectful – embracing American culture while meticulously cleaning up their stadium ranks, win, lose or draw.
Thanks to my family connections, I got to be right in the middle of it. Nothing against the Dutch, but unless the US is on the field, I’m a Lone Star Samurai Blue.
Japanese supporters pose for a photo outside a FIFA World Cup venue, showing their team spirit with face paint, headbands and national team jerseys. (Bryan Preston/Pakinomist Digital)
My brother-in-law and nephew traveled all the way from Tokyo to my home country to watch the match with my son and me. It was their third WC, but my very first.
To give them the full Texas experience, we checked off all the staples: homemade and restaurant barbecue, Tex-Mex, Buc-ee’s and a trip to the gun range. They loved every minute of it.
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We had bought our tickets the day they went on sale and landed seats up on the roof of the stadium. But it didn’t matter – there isn’t a bad place in the house.
We were surrounded by the faithful, with the “ultra” just off to our left. No matter what happened on the field, they never stopped chanting “Nippon! Nippon!”
The atmosphere surpassed any sporting event I have ever personally attended.
Almost everyone was decked out in team colours: the Dutch fans were mostly stoic; the Japanese fans were loud, animated and kept the stadium going.
Japan’s ultra supporters cheer from the stands during a FIFA World Cup match, creating a lively atmosphere as they rally behind their team. (Bryan Preston/Pakinomist Digital)
The match opened with a very American countdown in rocket fire.
However, the first half was anything but explosive.
The Netherlands dominated possession while Japan sat back and defended. “Turgid” might be one way to describe it; “cagey” and “strategic” are probably more complementary. Both teams played exactly according to type.
The second half was a completely different story, bursting with action at both ends of the pitch. Holland struck first when legendary defender Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring with one of his trademark headers.
Instead of keeping quiet, Japan’s fans just got louder and jumped harder. The players got that energy. Just seven minutes later, Japan hit back through Keito Nakamura.
The equalizer brought roar after roar from the crowd.
In the chaos, I high-fived my family, the family in front of me, the Japanese family to my left, and accidentally high-fived the family behind me who were wearing Dutch jerseys.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to mind.
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The Dutch regained the lead in the 64th minute through West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville and once again the Japanese fans responded by turning up the noise. The players increased the tempo and pushed higher and harder up the pitch.
Their reward came in the 89th minute. Japan won a corner kick and converted it into a brilliant goal from the heads of Koki Ogawa and Daichi Kamada.
A thrilling 2-2 draw was a most respectable way to start the tournament.
While casual observers might not traditionally group Japan with soccer’s elite, they don’t surprise anyone who’s been paying attention.
Japan’s women’s team are already global powers with a World Cup trophy to their name, and the men’s team has done some serious giant-killing recently, beating Brazil and top-five-ranked England in the run-up to 2026.
(Not to mention their stunning victory over Spain in the 2022 World Cup, which knocked four-time champions Germany out of the tournament).
Fans representing Japan and the Netherlands watch a FIFA World Cup match from a stadium suite as supporters fill the stands below. (Bryan Preston/Pakinomist Digital)
And while the domestic J-League is over 30 years old and flourishing, the national team has quietly become a European powerhouse.
The vast majority of its roster play for top European clubs: defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was a fan favorite at English giants Arsenal before moving to Ajax; maestro Takefusa Kubo is here: Real Sociedad; goalkeeper Zion Suzuki is with Parma; Hiroki Ito is here: Bayern Munich; and Kamada is here: Crystal Palace.
That’s a huge amount of elite European experience, and it’s not even all of Japan’s national team talent.
They are incredibly good. They play as a tight team, with technical intelligence and a nasty counter-attack that can flood the opponent’s half at lightning speed.
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Will they win it all? Probably not this time. But they’re going to unnerve a lot of giants before they’re done. Just ask the Dutch.
No matter how far they go in the tournament, one thing is already certain: Japan’s fans have won over the world. And they will likely leave the stadium cleaner than they found it.
Go Samurai Blue, everyone!
