We caught up with the Japanese national team the day before their match at “Jerry World” — aka Dallas Stadium — for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.We had been walking around downtown Dallas after a wonderfully heavy Tex-Mex lunch, taking in the sights of a city completely caught up in World Cup fever.When we found out Team Japan was staying at the W Hotel just a few blocks away, we decided to brave the 90-degree Texas heat and walk over just to see what was happening. Our timing couldn’t have been better.WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONEAs we hit the corner of Nowitzki Way and Houston Street — aptly named after an NBA legend and a hero of the Texas Revolution — police were blocking off the light Saturday afternoon traffic. A motorcycle cop flashed his lights and blared his siren, and then we saw it: a massive bus decked out in blue, sporting the unmistakable red disc of the Land of the Rising Sun.The bus pulled up to the W, and we moved toward the barrier. A dozen or so Japanese fans were waving and bouncing like a J-Pop band had just arrived, shouting players’ names as they stepped off the bus. They were just returning from their local training base at SMU, but the energy was already electric.As social media has proven since the tournament kicked off, Japan is absolutely soccer-crazy. Case in point:What elicited those deafening chants long before kickoff?Simply a live broadcast of the team getting off the bus at the stadium. Not warming up, not kicking a ball —just walking to the locker room.It’s hard not to root for 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 passionate, incredibly friendly, and famously respectful — embracing American culture while meticulously cleaning up their stadium rows whether they win, lose, or draw.Thanks to my family connections, I got to be right in the thick of it. Nothing against the Dutch, but unless the USA is on the pitch, I’m a Lone Star Samurai Blue.My brother-in-law and nephew traveled all the way from Tokyo to my home state to see the game with my son and me. It was their third World Cup, but my very first. To give them the full Texas experience, we checked off all the staples: homemade and restaurant BBQ, Tex-Mex, Buc-ee’s, and a trip to the gun range. They loved every minute of it.RELATED: WORLD CUP FANS FALL IN LOVE WITH AMERICAN CULTURE, COMFORT FOOD CLASSICSWe had bought our tickets the day they went on sale, landing seats up near the stadium roof. But it didn’t matter — there isn’t a bad seat in the house. We were surrounded by the faithful, with the “ultras” just off to our left. No matter what was happening on the field, they never stopped chanting “Nippon! Nippon!” The atmosphere surpassed any sporting event I’ve ever attended in person. Nearly everyone was decked out in team colors: the Dutch fans were mostly stoic; the Ja
Reporter’s Notebook: A Lone Star Samurai Blue experiencing a World Cup match in Dallas
