Unfortunately, it is not the norm to watch a group of people cleaning garbage up after a gathering. Most people all over the globe are used to leave it to someone else for cleaning, some others indifferently don’t care about the cleanliness of places where they don’t permanently live; needless to say it is highly unlikely to be done by football fans after the roller coaster of their emotions and the overwhelming focus they spent the time watching their team playing. But when it comes to Japanese fans it seems like we have shifted to another planet whose inhabitants are more evolved than us.
Japanese football fans had happily, autonomously, unpretentiously, humbly, and meticulously cleaned up their stands after a heated match with Colombia in World Cup 2018. Despite being the time when supporters of the victorious team wildly celebrate their victory, the Japanese fans spent it collecting the trash in garbage bags they have already brought for this purpose. The proudly conducted behavior surprised everyone that was at the stadium.
After reflection on the behavior for a while I came up with some questions and some answers. Why are Japanese the only people that take cleanliness to such extent? Why was it surprising to others to watch Japanese fans as they cleaned?
The answer is obvious; it is what had been ingrained in their morality system since their early childhood. The values and behaviors that are acquired at early age become deeply rooted in the subconscious and are almost impossible to change at later stages of life.
This is a fact that represents both an opportunity and a warning. As a nation or as a parent you have a limited span of time to imprint the values and behavior in your offspring’s’ minds.
Most of us had been educated on how important cleanness is, but it turned out that it takes more than education to imprint something in a child’s mind. The right attitude is required to be built at the first place then a serious training should be conducted to assure the lesson had become part of the child’s sought-after values.
I remember when I was at school; there were janitors who were responsible for cleaning. The janitors were not respected by most of children and staff. Moreover, cleaning with janitors had been a method of punishment for behavior. That is why building the right attitude toward cleaning is important. If the children are forced to clean while they hate cleaning, deem it as futile activity or taking it as humiliation, training would be nothing more than child-abuse.
In Japanese schools cleaning is not for lower classes, less competent or ill behaved students rather a task for everyone with no exceptions. It is not something to do at free time but there is time dedicated to it. Cleaning tasks are as important as academic classes. There are schedules and rules for cleaning the school and the neighborhood. The children are also taught to take pride in the cleanliness of their surroundings and how critical it is to their development.
The children became excited when cleaning time comes; they lovingly, voluntarily, and welcomingly do their share of cleaning. It is all about building a reliable adult that is independent and responsible.
On the other hand, Children do cleaning tasks in groups and in timely manner, this effectively teach them to be more sociable, team-players, cooperative and think in terms of society. If it is not for cleaning, schools would have to run costly and sophisticated activities to train the children of such qualities.
When those children became adults they show the results of such early-age’s discipline. Humbleness, Cooperation, respect, teamwork and public service are all obvious in Japanese culture in such a way we have seen in World Cup 2018.
Eventually, Cleaning is a meditative activity. It helps de-cluttering the mind and releasing negative emotions. So imagine how spirituality beneficial it is for children to clean on daily basis.
Hopefully, other nations learn the lesson freely offered by Japanese in Russia.
Thank you.