Samurai Spirit in the Stands: A Look at Japanese Football (Soccer) Culture

It’s only a few months since the FIFA World Cup wrapped up in Brazil, though for Japanese fans it may well seem like an eternity since their beloved “Samurai Blue” were still in the hunt for glory. After much pre-tournament hype, which saw the Japanese media and public alike predict a strong showing for the national team, their hopes were brought crashing down to earth as Honda, Kagawa and co. went out at the group stage with a solitary point. It wasn’t all gloom and doom for Japan at the World Cup, however. For one thing, the Japanese supporters out in Brazil earned rave reviews, in particular for their habit of picking up litter in the stadium after matches. Seeing the widespread attention that this conscientious behaviour drew from the world’s media, I started to think about the many other ways watching football (or "soccer" as it's called here) in Japan contrasts to the usual experience of fans in most western countries, especially my country England. Below are a few of the main aspects that sprang to mind.
Just to be clear, these observations are based on watching J-League (Japanese professional club) games rather than the national team, though there doesn't seem much significant difference between the two.

It’s a family affair
The first time I went to watch my local J-League team Kawasaki Frontale a few years ago, 
one of the things that struck home most was the number of women and kids in the crowd 
around me. Back in England, while the make-up of crowds is more mixed than it used to be, 
men are still in the majority. Family groups are an even rarer sight in English football 
grounds, but in Japan they’re very much the norm. As a result, on match days the area 
around the stadium can often seem more like a funfair than a sports venue. There might not 
be any roller-coasters in sight, but there’s usually a range of kid-friendly activities laid on, 
hours before the match even kicks off. To give you an idea, recent pre-match entertainment 
at Frontale has featured a petting zoo and a meet-and-greet session for the popular cartoon 
character Doraemon. It’s really admirable how much effort Japanese football clubs 
put in to making the match-going experience one that all the family can enjoy. More than 
anything, getting kids to regularly come and support their local team is a great way to 
ensure the long-term health of the game here.

You (don't) only sing when you're winning

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Japanese football spectators who I've mixed with and observed is their unshakable positivity. In an English football ground, you'll often hear moans and outright abuse shouted from disgruntled spectators at players who are having a stinker or at the referee when he makes a call they don't agree with. Not so in super-polite Japan. Even when their team is performing terribly, on the wrong end of a thrashing, the fans' support never seems to waver. Indeed, the communal chanting efforts of Japanese fans can really be a sight and sound to behold. Supporters have quite a repertoire of songs, and the "ultras" section, which usually takes up one side of the ground, rarely lets up with its chanting throughout the game, whatever the score. It's a much more orchestrated affair than the average English game, with a number of appointed leaders standing at the front facing their fellow fans, conducting the chanting through megaphones. It pains me to say it, but even at my beloved Liverpool FC, which has some of the most vocal and passionate fans in England, the match-day atmosphere can be strangely subdued if things aren't going well on the pitch. Some English teams, including Manchester United, have actually started to experiment with specially designated "singing sections" in an attempt to raise the noise level in their stadiums, with mixed results. These teams could certainly do worse than follow the example of their J-league counterparts in this respect.

Match-day gear

When it comes to deciding what to wear to the match, most Japanese fans don't even need to think about it. Replica shirts rule, and not just any old shirts either. As well as being the latest version, it should have the name and number of your favourite player on the back. Compare this to the average English football stadium, where you're likely to see just as many fans in their everyday clothes than sporting the colours of their team. In the eyes of many hard-core, season ticket-holding fans in England (usually middle-aged men), replica shirts are for kids and day-trippers. Now, I personally don't wear a replica kit to the game here myself (for a start, at around ¥12,000/£70, they're even more expensive than in England!) but the sight of virtually a whole stadium of supporters in matching coloured tops is pretty damn impressive!

Small is beautiful

While the English Premier League is a hugely successful global brand, with its top clubs boasting millions of dedicated followers, from New York to Hong Kong, it's fair to say that the J-League is a very modest, local affair in comparison. There are no multi-million TV deals, and few big money overseas signings, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. For instance, the fact that the average J-League player is on a fraction of the wages of their Premier League counterparts has a great deal to do with the lack of over-inflated egos here. I'm consistently struck by how articulate and good-natured most Japanese players come across when interviewed on camera. Admittedly, bad boys and egomaniacs like Zlatan or Ronaldo only add to the attraction of this beautiful game, and we watch players mainly for their skill on the pitch, not their manners off it. However, when the players are approachable and down-to-earth, rather than seemingly living on another planet, it can strengthen the bond between them and the fans. That certainly seems to be the case in the J-League. For example, Kawasaki Frontale hold fan days at the stadium at least a couple of times a year, where fans can come along and meet their favourite players, getting their replica shirts signed and exchanging a few pleasantries in the process. Meanwhile, most fans of Premier League clubs could only dream of getting so close to their heroes.

What about the football?

Never mind how passionate the fans are or how approachable the players are, the thing most people who've never watched J-League football in Japan are probably wondering is "What's the standard like?" Well, for those readers familiar with the English game, I'd say it's a similar standard to the Championship (i.e. one level below the Premier League), although the pace is generally less frenetic and there's more focus on the sort of close passing game favoured in Spain or Italy than the "up and at 'em" style of the English lower leagues. Adding to the entertainment value, there's generally plenty of goals, due just as much to dodgy defending than sparkling attacking. And another plus is the general unpredictability of the competition - in the past decade alone, there have been seven different J-League champions, some of them rising from mid-table obscurity in the course of one or two seasons. So, if you're a football fan living in Japan yet to get a taste of the J-League, why not give it a go and support your local team? You may well find yourself becoming a convert like me!

Takashi Miike - A "Bloody" Good Director

Takashi Miike is a truly one-of-a-kind film director, not only in terms of the outrageous and freaky films that he makes, but also the astonishing rate at which he churns them out. Since he burst onto the scene in the early ‘90s with gangster flicks like “Bodyguard Kiba” and “Shinjuku Triad Society”, he’s helmed an average of roughly 4 features per year, which is virtually unprecedented. What makes this number even more impressive, though, is the consistency in quality and sheer variety of his work. Inevitably he’s been responsible for the odd miss among the many hits, and he’s best known for violent action and horror, though he’s also tried his hand at children’s films (“Ninja Kids!!!”) and courtroom drama/comedy (“Ace Attorney”).

I’ve picked five Miike films that I feel best represent his eclectic back catalogue - often jaw-droppingly violent, sometimes pant-wettingly scary, but certainly never dull.

Audition / オーディション (1999)

This film is first on the list partly because it's the one that introduced me to Miike, but also as it made the biggest impression on me. It's the tale of a widower who gets more than he bargained for when deciding to 'audition' suitable candidates to be his next girlfriend/wife. Sounds quite light-hearted when you put it like that, doesn't it? And indeed it starts off that way, but by the end it has descended into full-blown horror. I guess you could say I was "lucky" in that I went into it not knowing much about what to expect, which made the final twist all the more shocking. In the intervening years, though, the film's reputation has spread, to the extent that it's now seen as a touchstone for slow-building horror filmmaking. Any self-respecting horror fan will likely have seen "Audition" already, but if you like a good fright and you haven't yet experienced this shock-tastic masterpiece I heartily recommend you do so. Just don't expect to want any repeat viewings for a while...

The Bird People in China / 中国の鳥人 (1998)

One of Miike’s most thoughtful and touching works, this film marks the first proper departure from his early fixation on violence and crime. Largely filmed on location against the stunning backdrop of China’s mountainous Yunnan province, the story follows the odd couple of mild-mannered businessman Wada and mildly psychotic gangster Ujiie (it wouldn’t be a bona fide Miike film without a yakuza in there somewhere), who are dispatched on a haphazard mission to scout out some rare gems. What they find instead is a kind of enlightenment, as their stay in the isolated mountain community amongst the so-called “bird people” makes them reevaluate their modern-day lives. There’s still enough crazy and comical touches to keep die-hard Miike fans entertained – I particularly enjoyed Ujiie's foul-mouthed antics and the story thread involving a bunch of raft-pulling turtles – but it’s the final, more contemplative, scenes of the film that really stayed with me.

The Happiness of the Katakuris / カタクリ家の幸福 (2001)

If there's one film that encapsulates Miike's wonderfully eclectic approach to filmmaking, this is surely it. Part comedy, part musical, part human drama, part animation (and of course don't forget the horror!), it tells the story of the Katakuri family's seemingly doomed efforts to attract guests to their newly opened guest house near Mount Fuji. Naturally, the shade of comedy is rather black, with one running joke focusing on the unfortunate habit of new guests to die in increasingly bizarre circumstances. It's all handled with a lot of warmth and charm though, making it, for me, the most enjoyable watch out of all of Miike's many movies. My favourite thing about the whole film is probably the daughter's love interest, played by rock musician Kiyoshi Imawano, as a U.S. naval officer who claims to be nephew of Queen Elizabeth II (?) and speaks with the most hilariously awful 'Japanglish' imaginable!

Thirteen Assassins / 十三人の刺客 (2010)

Not to be confused with "Seven Samurai", this is Miike's best-known stab at the Japanese period action genre, and in my humble view it stands up pretty well alongside Kurosawa's masterpiece. Loosely based on a historical incident from 19th century feudal Japan, a group of samurai are hired to assassinate the sadistic half-brother of the Shogun. Much like "Seven Samurai", the first part of the film concentrates on the group coming together, building up their various characters, before the final chapter erupts in one of the most epic and entertaining fight sequences you're ever likely to see on screen. Apart from the stunning action, there's also some fine acting on show, not least from Koji Yakusho as the group's stoic leader, and Goro Inagaki (best known as member of clean-cut Japanese boy band SMAP) putting in a delightfully OTT turn as the aforementioned sadistic target of the assassins.

Lesson of the Evil / 悪の教典 (2012)

Considering the increasing number of mass school shootings nowadays, this tale of a psychotic high school teacher who ends up slaughtering most of his students with a double-barrelled shotgun is about as un-PC as you can get. However, political correctness has never been much of a concern for this punk rock-loving director, unless he’s sticking his middle finger up to it. In a way, “Lesson of the Evil” is classic Miike, in that it starts off fairly sedately, with an undercurrent of unease, before climaxing in a no-holds-barred bloodfest which is so over-the-top it’s just as likely to induce guffaws as gasps. Hideaki Ito is perfectly cast as the teacher, Mr. Hasumi, whose good looks and charming nature blind those around him to his dark, twisted soul. While I found the first half of the film, spent gradually chipping away at Mr. Hasumi’s façade of normality, to be genuinely creepy, the concluding set piece is basically "Battle Royale" on speed!

Dancing in the moonlight with Tsukiyoi

For many "gaijin" like me who have fallen under the spell of Japan, a big part of the attraction is the mish-mash of cutting-edge modernity and quaint tradition. Like spotting a kimono-clad lady in a subway train, or an ancient temple standing in the shadow of a gleaming skyscraper.

The aural equivalent of this can be heard in the music of “Tsukiyoi”, a duo who combine traditional Japanese sounds with contemporary electronic beats to create a thrilling and enchanting blend that is all their own. "Tsukiyoi" literally means "intoxicated by the moon", which reflects the often other-worldly vibe of the music. The pair’s traditional half is represented by Kou, a petite young lady with a mighty voice whose chosen instrument is the koto, similar to a harp but with fewer strings and played on its side rather than upright. Bespectacled DJ and music producer Tetsu is the Yin to Kou’s Yang, adding his brand of infectious house grooves to the mixture, in a way that perfectly complements the soulful vocals and emotive koto strings.

Kou and Tetsu got together in 2011, and their first release, “Rokudan”, was a modern instrumental arrangement of a 400-year-old koto piece. Perfect as background music for getting a massage or meditating, it was nevertheless unlikely to trouble the charts or dance floors of Tokyo. The following year, however, saw the duo expand their sound, raising the tempo and slipping in Kou’s powerful vocals on the hypnotic “Yougao”, supposedly named after a character from the ancient Japanese novel “The Tale of Genji”. Listening to the duo’s subsequent releases, from the exquisitely languid “Lovers” to the uplifting “Origin”, it’s clear that they are becoming gradually less reliant on the traditional/modern angle as their confidence grows along with their fan base. For example, while the koto remains a key element of many tracks, it doesn’t always feature. Kou has other tricks up her billowing kimono sleeve, not least her haunting, ethereal voice, which is perhaps showcased most impressively on “Lovers”. Her singing on this track has an almost timeless quality, transporting the listener to a mystical place. It starts off fairly soothingly but gradually builds to a rousing climax, along a wave of synth sound.

The duo are clearly influenced not only by traditional Japanese music but by Western dance and pop music. One of their more recent songs, "Samsara", even borrows from the back catalogue of the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, using the melody from his 1983 hit "Human Nature", which was later ripped off by the 90s girl group SWV. Personally, I much prefer this koto version! See what you think...

If you live in Japan, there should be plenty of chances to see Tsukiyoi in person over the coming months, as they're starting to tour more frequently, often to sold-out, though small, venues. Fans in Europe shouldn't feel left out either, as Tsukiyoi will be performing at the "Japan Expo" in Paris in July. It remains to be seen whether Kou and Testsu will achieve proper fame, at home or abroad, but in this music fan's humble opinion they're the ideal ambassadors for Japan's music scene, demonstrating great pride for their country's culture while absorbing all kinds of overseas influences, one thing that Japan has excelled at over the years.

Check out more information on Tsukiyoi at their official site: tsukiyoi.com