Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Around a hundred Samurai Blue superfans crowded the Old Ambassador\u2019s Residence at the Japanese embassy in Washington, on Sunday for a watch party marking its World Cup opener against the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The supporters \u2014 a motley group including erstwhile English teachers in Japan, state department workers and embassy staffers \u2014 lounged around a projector set in the building\u2019s front room, plates piled high with nigiri. Drinking Kirin Ichiban lager and Asahi Super Dry, they winced when the Dutch team had the ball in the opposing third and burst into cheers and sang \u201cVamos Nippon\u201d when Daichi Kamada\u2019s header tied the game in the 89th minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe World Cup itself is a competition,\u201d said Masatsugu Odaira, the embassy\u2019s minister of public affairs, at the watch party. \u201cBut from the perspective of policy and diplomacy, it\u2019s a very good chance to connect people across borders.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the event, POLITICO spoke to soccer fans who are already excited about Japan\u2019s growing diplomatic footprint and soft power projection. And they hope the World Cup will buoy that cultural momentum, stimulating tourism \u2014 one of the nation\u2019s most lucrative sectors<\/a> \u2014 and drawing eyes to Japan.<\/p>\n The World Cup is \u201cjust a visceral way to connect people who have not yet had the opportunity to travel to Japan to be swept up in the enthusiasm of an international competition,\u201d said Andrew Wylegala, president of the National Association of Japan-America Societies.<\/p>\n Japan is already \u201cat the top of its game\u201d in terms of soft power projection, Wylegala added \u2014 and \u201csoccer now fits in with that.\u201d<\/p>\n Embassy staff wore pink shirts with the American and Japanese flags on the back. \u201cTogether We Bloom,\u201d they read.<\/p>\n The end result, a 2-2 draw against the Dutch, the world\u2019s eighth ranked international side, only added to their enthusiasm.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s team has a far more prolific record. Fans still hark back to their 2011 World Cup final victory over the U.S., months after a massive earthquake and tsunami slammed the country.<\/p>\n But the men\u2019s team has won just seven World Cup games in its history. Japan\u2019s best-ever finish: The round of 16, where they\u2019ve fallen four separate times.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s hope that, this year, the underdogs could pull off an upset. From Ajax\u2019s Takehiro Tomiyasu to Kamada, a Crystal Palace midfielder, the Samurai Blue have more than enough talent to compete with the sport\u2019s upper crust.<\/p>\n Odaira\u2019s hope for this year? \u201cOh, becoming a champion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n