Buying World Cup goods yesterday was a far higher priority in Japan than watching the actual games.
In fact, you wouldn't know that Yokohama, near Tokyo, was hosting the World Cup final unless one saw the scrum in the FIFA merchandizing shop and a couple of information desks at the train stations.
While 7 million people gathered in South Korea's capital to watch their team lose to Germany in the semifinal, public access large-screen TVs have been banned in Japan.
PHOTO: AFP
While South Koreans enjoy repeats of all the World Cup games long into the night, Japan gets a few review shows hosted by pop stars -- who can only manage a few adjectives about how cool it all is. And they are the same adjectives, even to a non-Japanese speaker.
For World Cup games, attendance in Japan has been lower. At the semifinal in Saitama between Turkey and Brazil there were thousands of empty seats left over.
Though this was blamed on British ticketing agent Byrom Ltd, fans that did turn up for the game couldn't get tickets and were then unable to see the game on TV either. As a result, irate punters bombarded information desks asking where they could watch the match.
At the Yokohama information desk, the staff have even prepared lists of sports bars, so that fans can find a place to get a taste of the action.
The difference between the two countries is pretty stark for most journalists who have covered the event.
Brazil's El Globo TV was quite put out yesterday at the relative lack of interest in the Brazilian team, which is staying at the Prince Hotel in Yokohama.
"Anywhere else, it would be madness," Juan Premio said.
"Here, you would hardly know that the biggest sporting event in the world was about to take place."
Tomorrow, on the day of the big final, the whole situation will reach a nadir of absurdity. Instead of showing the game on a large screen in a park on the waterfront, baseball reruns and commercials for the World Cup sponsors will be shown.
Not surprisingly, the Japan World Cup Organizing Committee (JAWOC) has been on the defensive about the whole issue.
For instance, when it was asked why there were no large screen showings of the matches, it responded that the holder of the broadcasting rights PerfecTV was to blame.
But the satellite television company denied this. JAWOC backtracked and was forced to admit that it had drawn up regulations with the government and FIFA to limit the number of "public viewing" spots because of the fear of hooliganism.
FIFA can't be at fault because there's been no problem in South Korea, so Japan's government and JAWOC stands squarely accused of being the party pooper.
On the street, many Japanese insist they have World Cup fever. In the FIFA merchandizing shop in Yokohama, for instance, hundreds of people were buying souvenirs.
Shop assistant Makara Satawa said 3,000 to 4,000 people were pouring into the store daily, which is open from 10am to 9pm.
"It's been like panic buying," he said, but added that he was unable to watch any games on the monitor in the store because it was playing reruns of previous World Cups.
"Yes, it is very sad and I don't understand why the games are not being shown."
Ayakata, who is a manager in the retail business in Yokohama, said he blamed the government and "maybe the police" for the lack of large-screen TVs.
"They don't want trouble because they are worried that this is what will happen if many people get together. I know that a lot of young men are interested in soccer. And young girls too," Ayakata said. "But I don't know why they don't show the games on TV more."
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