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We caught up with the Japanese national team the day before their match at “Jerry World” – also known as Dallas Stadium – for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
We were walking around downtown Dallas after a surprisingly heavy Tex-Mex lunch, taking in the city in the grip of World Cup fever.
Soccer fans gather at the FIFA World Cup fan zone in Dallas city park to watch the tournament live on a giant outdoor screen. (Bryan Preston/Fox News Digital)
When we found out that Team Japan was staying at the W Hotel just a few blocks away, we decided to brave the 90 degree Texas heat and go just to see what was going on. Our timing could not have been better.
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As we approached the corner of Nowitzki Way and Houston Street — aptly named for the NBA legend and Texas Revolution hero — police were blocking Saturday afternoon traffic.
The motorcycle policeman flashed his lights and sounded his siren, and then we saw it: a big bus decked out in blue, playing the mysterious red disc of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The bus arrived at W, and we headed to the bay. A dozen Japanese fans were waving and acting as if a J-Pop group had just arrived, shouting the players’ names as they got off the bus.
They had just returned from their local training base at SMU, but the power was already electric.
Japan’s 2026 FIFA World Cup team bus arrives under police supervision in the host city before the tournament matches. (Bryan Preston/Fox News Digital)
As social media has proven since the tournament began, Japan is absolutely crazy. Case in point:
What caused those deafening chants long before it started?
Just a live stream of the team getting off the bus at the stadium. Not warming up, not kicking a football—just going to the locker room.
Japan and the Netherlands are honored during the FIFA World Cup pre-match ceremony as giant country flags are displayed across the stadium before kick-off. (Bryan Preston/Fox News Digital)
It’s hard not to focus on Japan these days. As the country enjoys an unprecedented wave of global popularity thanks to tourism, food, and pop culture, their soccer fans have risen to the top of the world stage.
They are loving, incredibly friendly, and famously polite – they embrace American culture while meticulously cleaning their field lines whether they are winning, losing, or drawing.
Because of the connection with my family, I have to be in the middle of it. Nothing against the Dutch, but unless the USA is on the field, I’m Lone Star Samurai Blue.
Japanese fans pose for a photo outside the FIFA World Cup venue, showing their team spirit with face paint, headbands, and national team jerseys. (Bryan Preston/Fox News Digital)
My brother-in-law and my nephew traveled all the way from Tokyo to my place to see the show with my son. It was their third World Cup, but my first.
To give them the full Texas experience, we’ve checked all the basics: homemade BBQ and restaurant, Tex-Mex, Buc-ee’s, and trips to the gun range. They loved every minute of it.
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We had bought the tickets the day they went on sale, and sat down near the roof of the stadium. But it didn’t matter – there wasn’t a bad seat in the house.
We were surrounded by loyalists, and “ultras” from our left. No matter what happened on the field, they never stopped singing “Nippon! Nippon!”
The atmosphere was beyond any sporting event I have personally attended.
Almost everyone was decked out in team colours: the Dutch fans were mostly stoic; the Japanese fans were loud, animated, and kept the stadium moving.
Many Japanese fans are cheering in the stadiums during the FIFA World Cup match, which creates a great atmosphere as they follow their team. (Bryan Preston/Fox News Digital)
The game opened with an American countdown, rocket-launch-style.
However, the first part did not blow well.
The Netherlands dominated the game while Japan sat back and defended. “Turgid” might be one way to describe it; “cagey” and “technique” are probably too complimentary. Both teams played the same way.
The second half was a completely different story, with action erupting on both sides of the pitch. The Netherlands struck first when defender Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring with one of his trademark headers.
Instead of being quiet, the Japanese fans got loud and jumped a lot. Players feed off that energy. After just seven minutes, Japan scored through Keito Nakamura.
The equalizer brought roars after roars from the crowd.
In this chaos, I raised my family, the family in front of me, the Japanese family on my left, and I accidentally raised my family behind me who were wearing the Netherlands jerseys.
Fortunately, they don’t seem to mind.
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The Dutch took the lead again in the 64th minute through West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville, and the Japanese fans responded by making noise again. The players picked up the pace, pushing further up the field.
Their reward came in the 89th minute. Japan received a corner and converted it into a fine goal through the heads of Koki Ogawa and Daichi Kamada.
A 2-2 draw was a very respectable way to start the tournament.
While casual viewers may not associate Japan with soccer’s elite, it’s no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.
Japan’s women’s team is already a world power with a World Cup trophy to its name, and the men’s team has seen a lot of execution recently, beating Brazil and England in the top five heading into 2026.
(Not to mention their stunning victory over Spain in the 2022 World Cup, which knocked four-time champions Germany out of the tournament).
Fans representing Japan and the Netherlands watch the FIFA World Cup match from the stands as fans fill the stands below. (Bryan Preston/Fox News Digital)
And while the domestic J-League is more than 30 years old and growing, the national team has quietly become a European powerhouse.
Most of its squad play for top European clubs: defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was a fan favorite with English giants Arsenal before moving to Ajax; maestro Takefusa Kubo at Real Sociedad; goalkeeper Zion Suzuki goes with Parma; Hiroki Ito is at Bayern Munich; and Kamada is at Crystal Palace.
That’s a huge amount of European experience at the top level, and that’s not even the entire talent of the Japanese national team.
They are amazingly beautiful. They play as a strong team, with technical brilliance and a vicious attack that can fill the opposition’s half in an instant.
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Will they win it all? Maybe not this time. But they will scare many giants before they finish. Just ask the Dutch.
No matter how far they’ve come in the tournament, one thing is certain: Japan’s fans have conquered the world. And they will likely leave the field cleaner than they found it.
Go Samurai Blue, everyone!
