Four years after debuting for the World Cup, the soccer stadium in Niigata, a quiet mid-sized Japanese city with forbidding winters, is still packed to its 42,300-seat capacity.
Crowds that barely knew the sport a generation ago dress up in Albirex Niigata's orange jerseys for Saturday home matches and roar thunderously as their team goes on the attack.
It is part of the gradual infiltration of soccer into the culture of a country where -- despite the excitement World Cup over this year -- baseball firmly remains the national pastime.
PHOTO: AFP
When Albirex opened in 1999, it was not only not making money, it was in debt, according to club official Sho Yamada.
"Since the World Cup, though, we have become profitable, with our stadium always filled nearly to its capacity," he continued.
Niigata "Big Swan" Stadium was built for the last World Cup, which was co-hosted by South Korea, and hosted the likes of English superstar David Beckham.
But in much of Japan, the excitement over the 2002 World Cup has quickly faded.
"The soccer fever in me was pretty intense during the last World Cup, but I haven't seen any soccer since then," Tokyo businesswoman Yukiko Mizutani said.
While the Asian champions' World Cup bid in Germany has made front-page news in Japan, the team is not expected to do well in the tournament.
"All the craze and instant fans have disappeared from the last World Cup," said Fuyumi Sato, a board member of the non-profit Japan Supporters Association.
"It might take another century for Japan to really nurture its (soccer) culture and see the sport taking firm roots here," he said.
"Maybe Japanese people generally feel (soccer) is still a foreign sport," said (soccer) fan Tomoya Abe, a Tokyo businessman. (AFP)
新潟,是個靜謐、卻有著凜冽寒冬的日本中型城市,四年前世界盃足球賽初次在此登場,而此次新潟體育館裡四萬兩千三百個座位仍是座無虛席。
上一代的日本人還不太了解足球,但現在他們卻為了星期六的主場比賽穿起新潟天鵝隊的橘色球衣,在天鵝隊發動攻勢時聲嘶力竭地吶喊。
足球慢慢滲透日本文化,民眾也興奮期待今年的世界盃足球賽,但棒球是日本全民運動的地位仍屹立不搖。
根據球團幹事山田翔(譯音)的說法,新潟天鵝隊在一九九九年剛成立時,不僅沒賺錢,還債台高築。
他接著表示:「不過,我們自世界盃足球賽後便轉虧為盈,體育場總是幾乎場場爆滿。」
新潟大天鵝體育場是為了上一屆由日本和南韓共同主辦的世界盃足球賽所興建,英國超級巨星貝克漢等名人都曾在此踢球。
不過對許多日本民眾來說,二○○二年世界盃足球賽的熱潮很快就退燒了。
東京女實業家水谷由希子(譯音)表示:「上一屆世界盃足球賽期間我很瘋足球,不過此後我再也沒看過任何足球比賽。」
亞洲冠軍日本卯足全力想在德國世界盃足球賽好好表現的消息雖躍上國內報紙頭版,日本隊在世界盃的表現卻不被看好。
非營利組織「日本後援隊協會」董事的冬實佐藤(譯音)表示:「上屆世界盃足球賽的熱潮和一時瘋狂的球迷都消失了。」
他表示:「日本可能要再花上一世紀才能培養出根深柢固的足球文化。」
在東京從商的足球迷的安倍智也(譯音)說:「日本人可能還普遍認為足球是外國人的運動。」
(法新社/翻譯:鄭湘儀)
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