&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "FIFA 2026: Japanese men win hearts for cleaning World Cup stadiums. So why are women furious at them?")
Japanese football fans are known worldwide for cleaning up stadiums after World Cup matches, a gesture that has repeatedly earned them praise from the global community. During the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 as well, Japanese fans have made headlines for their civic sense. Back home, however, they are facing criticism. But why? The backlash began after someone shared a poster urging men to “share unpaid work at home.” Here’s all you need to know about the latest FIFA 2026 controversy.
Why are Japanese men getting slammed online?
Photos of men combing the stands with trash bags in hand sparked a backlash online, drawing widespread criticism rather than praise. The reason? Many of the men who diligently clean up in front of the cameras at stadiums are seen as leaving most of the housework to their wives or partners at home.
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Japanese fans hold blue bin bags over their heads during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Dallas, United States. Photograph: (AFP)
Putting the spotlight on the gender inequality still prevalent in Japan, a poster on X called out these men. Japanese men "spend among the least time on housework internationally," the poster text read. "Please share unpaid care work at home. Start with respect—at home," it added.
The post has attracted widespread attention, garnering over two million views and 61,000 likes so far. "Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help mom do the dishes," an X user quoted American author PJ O'Rourke in comments.
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"There’s definitely a guy among the people picking up trash this time who’s dumped childcare on his wife despite having a young kid and gone off to watch the World Cup," said another.
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"If you're a wife who's troubled because your husband doesn't do any tidying up, first have him wear the representative's uniform around the house," read a satirical comment.
"They do it outside the home because they get praised for it. And being modest about it is part of the package... but they don't do it at home," noted a fourth user.
Japanese women still shoulder most of the burden at home
Cleanliness and personal responsibility remain deeply embedded in Japanese culture. Yet, despite this cultural emphasis, Japanese men still rank among the lowest in advanced economies when it comes to housework and caregiving.
According to 2021 data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Japanese women spend more than three hours per day on unpaid work, i.e, over five times as much as men, who average just 47 minutes a day. The gap is even wider in young families. A 2021 government survey found that in dual-income households with children under six, women spend more than seven hours a day on household chores, while men spend less than two.
The viral debate around World Cup stadium clean-ups has therefore become about much more than football etiquette. For many Japanese women, it has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the unequal division of labour at home, and raised fresh calls for men to match their public image of responsibility with everyday actions behind closed doors.
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