- Japanese fans cleaned up Dallas Stadium after their 2026 World Cup match against the Netherlands
- Japanese students clean their schools daily, embedding cleanliness as a lifelong habit
- Buddhism and Shintoism link cleanliness to spiritual purification in Japan
Japan is the second cleanest country in Asia and not just because of strict anti-littering laws and waste disposal regulations. One can say that cleanliness is ingrained among the Japanese.
In the recent 2-2 draw with the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup 2026, Japanese fans made headlines for staying behind to collect trash, ensuring they left the Dallas Stadium in the US as they found it before the match.
From videos circulating on the Internet, users can't stop praising how the Japanese team left the dressing room spotless after the game. The interesting part is that it didn't happen for the first time. People from the Land of the Rising Sun are known for their etiquette, especially for keeping their surroundings clean, even on foreign soil.
Japanese Culture Of Cleanliness
While social media users are awestruck by this, travellers often share their experience of exploring the spic and span streets of Japan. Some call it an obsession with cleanliness, but for the Japanese, it's a part of their DNA.
From elementary school to high school, every student's daily schedule includes cleaning time. Studies suggest that it can take 18 to 254 days for a habit to form. Now imagine doing something for 12 years of school life. This is why cleanliness is ingrained among the Japanese.
Adults at home teach children, irrespective of their gender, to keep their surroundings clean. They are taught to do it themselves. Thus, they are culturally averse to littering, a mannerism that many Indians could adopt.
Spiritual Origins Of Cleanliness In Japan
Cleanliness in Japan also has a spiritual connection. The two main influences are Buddhism and Shintoism, indigenous nature-based religion. Between the 6th and 8th centuries, when Buddhism was introduced in Japan, cleanliness as one of the core philosophies was also imbibed by the practitioners. Keeping the surroundings spotless is a form of purification and meditation.
In Japanese Shintoism, purification and purity rituals also include the frequent removal of impurities. For the Japanese, cleanliness is godliness. Most of the population practises washing hands and mouth before entering a shrine.
Practical And Hygiene Reasons For Practicing Cleanliness In Japan
Taking examples from pop culture, including Doraemon, Shin-Chan, and almost every Studio Ghibli movie, one notices that the Japanese don't enter their homes without removing their shoes. They are quite particular about it, and practically, it makes sense as it prevents the spread of bacteria and germs.
But cleanliness is not restricted to cleaning surfaces. To prevent communicable diseases from spreading, the Japanese also wear masks in crowded spaces. In fact, if someone is sick and not wearing a mask, locals find it inconsiderate as it does not help avoid infecting others.
Clean Streets And Public Transportation
One of the most surprising acts of cleanliness takes place on the Shinkansen (bullet train), which runs at a high speed, ranging from 275 km/h to 320 km/h. When the train reaches the destination, a dedicated crew of 22 cleaners move in sync and clean the entire train, with up to 16 carriages and around 1,000 seats, in just 7 minutes.
This 420-second practice is globally referred to as the Seven-Minute Miracle.
And how can one forget the Japanese streets? Influencers and travellers have taken on the challenge, worn white socks, and walked on the streets without footwear. Even after walking for a couple of hours and crossing a busy street, their socks remained spotless.
Japanese streets are largely free of public trash cans. In fact, citizens organise clean-up drives in neighbourhoods to collect trash from public areas and dispose of it in dustbins.
Not to mention how floodwater often remains transparent on Japanese streets and subways. Shimabara, a city situated in the Nagasaki Prefecture, has open drainage channels with colourful koi fish living and thriving in them. Ask any ichthyophiles and they will tell you that koi fish can only survive in exceptionally clean and highly oxygenated water.
Cleanliness is no joke in Japan. It is the way of living.
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