World Cup Rows

[thomas]

Monday, 5 February, 2001

Japan back down in World Cup Row

Japan have apparently backed down in a row with World Cup 2002 co-hosts South Korea in a row over which country's name should appear first on tickets.
The dispute had been threatening to escalate after South Korean fans staged protests outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul.

A dozen demonstrators called for Japan to be stripped of the right to hold next summer's tournament final unless they agree to use the word "Korea" ahead of "Japan" on ticket application forms.

The protests followed threats by South Korean football chiefs to lodge an official protest with Fifa over Japan's behaviour.

But Japan has reportedly suggested a compromise, agreeing to print Korea before Japan in all official documents in English

Reuters news agency says the Japanese football authorities have backed down after receiving "guidance" from Fifa.

An official from the Japanese World Cup Organising Committee (JAWOC) announced that the words "Japan" and "Korea" written in the Japanese language will both be deleted from the ticket application guide for domestic use.

Reuters quotes an official of JAWOC saying: "We have never changed, tried to change and will never change the official title. We accept the official title decided by Fifa as a matter of course."

The tournament will be called the "2002 Fifa World Cup".

It is not clear whether South Korea will be satisfied with these measures.

South Korea were angered when Japan appeared set to break a 1996 Fifa agreement which granted the prestigious tournament final to the Japanese capital Tokyo, but officially named the competition as "2002 Fifa World Cup Korea/Japan". If South Korea are still disatisfied by the Japanese compromise, the row is likely to be settled by Fifa at a meeting on March 15.

Copyright ｩ BBC Sport

[thomas]

The Digital Chosun reported on 18-05-2001:

Korea, Japan Vie Over World Cup Pictograms

A showdown between Korea and Japan is looming over the adoption of pictograms to be used to label various public facilities at World Cup facilities when the two nations co-host the event in June of next year.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy (MOCIE) and its subsidiary organization, the Agency for Technology and Standards, announced Friday that they will fine tune proposals for 30 standard pictograms by the end of June and submit them to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for their adoption for the 2002 championships.

Meanwhile, Japan is known to have confirmed its own proposal for 125 pictograms and has been engaged in lobbying the ISO so that more Japanese pictograms could be picked up for the 2002 World Cup.

An official at the Agency said that the Japanese pictograms are based on British models, while those designer by Korea are patterned more after the US style.

(Kim Young-soo, yskim2@chosun.com)

Copyright ｩ Digital Chosun

[thomas]

Reported by Ananova.com, September 9, 2001:

Japanese police practice for World Cup with English hooligans

Japanese police have staged mock riots using hooligans with painted faces wielding Union Jack flags.

They are preparing themselves to face England fans during next year's World Cup.

Crime levels in Japan are amongst the lowest in the world and violence at football matches is unheard of.

The atmosphere is like a school sports day and Japanese authorities are worried officers are in for a culture shock.

Some residents around stadiums have also taken out 'hooligan' insurance.

Top police officers have had to resort to staging riots so they and their men can learn how to face and control unruly mobs.

Takahisa Ishida, director of security for the 2002 Fifa World Cup said, "This is an important issue for us. No police officers in Japan have direct experience of hooliganism.

"It doesn't happen here," he told the Sunday Express.

Authorities hope the high cost of tickets and air fare will discourage undesirables from visiting Japan.

Copyright ｩ Ananova Ltd.

[thomas]

Reported by Kyodo News, Nov. 22, 2001:

World Cup soccer hooligans to be deported

The Diet passed Thursday a bill revising an immigration law to bar soccer hooligans from entering Japan as well as to expel them from the country.

The House of Representatives unanimously approved at its plenary session the bill, which will take effect in March next year. The House of Councillors had unanimously passed the bill Nov. 2.

The bill, revising the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, aims to deal with possible hooliganism during the 2002 World Cup finals, to be co-hosted by Japan and South Korea and which begin May 31.

The bill stipulates that foreign soccer hooligans who have been convicted or expelled from countries for obstructing international conferences and competitions, can be refused entry to Japan.

In response to an increase in lock picking and car thefts in Japan by foreigners, the bill also allows for deportation of foreigners who face prison terms of up to one year for theft or breaking and entering.

Also, in view of growing concerns over illegal aliens, the bill will also allow the deportation of foreigners who have been involved in the forgery of passports and documents for illegal entry.

Copyright ｩ Kyodo News

[thomas]

1. Reported by The Washington Post, January 27, 2002:

Japanese Prepare for Culture Clash With British 'Hooligans' at World Cup

=> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2002Jan26.html

2. Reported by BusinessWeek Online, January 29, 2002:

A Grudge Match for Japan and Korea

=> http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/...20129_2198.htm

[thomas]

Reported by Mainichi Online, January 20, 2002:

Racist rag warns women to fear foreigners at World Cup

=> http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/waiwai/020...hooligans.html

[larry_s]

And now for something competlely different.

I'm not so fond of sake, but here's what I call marketing:

8 local breweries sell World Cup soccer sake (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/wcup_news/20020407wp12.htm)

[thomas]

And back to the subject. ;)

Niigata inns say no to foreigners

Traditional inns in Niigata are hanging out "no vacancy'' signs to foreign World Cup fans, saying they don't want the hassle of dealing with visitors who can't bridge the language barrier. Although hosting the soccer showcase has been billed as a step toward Japan's internationalization, the 26-member Niigata Inn Association is refusing to accept foreign guests who do not speak Japanese.

=> http://www.asahi.com/english/sports/K2002041000323.html

[thomas]

An interesting interview with Tadao Murata, a Japan Organizing Committee member as well as former vice chairman of the Japan Football Association, about how Korea and Japan were chosen to (co-)host the Soccer World Cup 2002:

FIFA behind closed doors: It's either co-host or no-host

=> http://www.asahi.com/english/sports/K2002042300488.html

Hordes of rowdies and hooligans start to flock in [shiver] ;)

English maniacs start drive to Saitama

Three England soccer fans left London on Friday for a 20,000-kilometer car drive to Japan to watch the World Cup finals.

They are scheduled to cross the English Channel to France by ferry and then drive east through Europe and Asia until reaching Shanghai, from where they will take a ferry to Osaka.

The final leg of their marathon trip will involve driving to Saitama Stadium in Saitama Prefecture, where the England team will kick off its campaign on June 2 in a Group F match against Sweden. The men will stop at such places as Mongolia to play soccer matches against local residents and British Embassy staff.

For Andrew Nicolson, who works for the University of Sheffield in the English midlands, this will be the first time to watch a World Cup soccer match.

Nicolson said he wants to break down the stereotypical notions that English soccer fans are hooligans. He added that he was looking forward to establishing friendly ties with Japanese fans.

Copyright © Daily Yomiuri

[TomAsInfinity]

That's real commitment... driving to Japan from the UK! I must admit I would love to try that, especially for the changes in scenery, but even thinking about sitting down over long distances makes my behind ache

[thomas]

It's an absolute challenge. Although I am not quite sure if four weeks are enough to make it to Japan. I also wonder what's their exact route through "Asia"...

[Twisted]

I hope they brought enough cash.
If they go through Russia they have to bribe half the policeforce there.
A friend of mine drove from Holland to Minsk once. It definately cost him more then a planeticket would have cost. And Minsk is not even a quarter of the way to Japan.

Peter

[moyashi]

wahooo ... fun ...

Japanese to fear foreign soccer fan visitors ... haha .. who were they asking? When the carrier "Independance" came to Otaru ... girls drove down to the gates in car loads to pick up the sailors ;)

K -> J or J <- K .... hmmm sounds like the old row of CJ and JC. Japanese short cut the kanjis used to japanchina while China does it the same to show honor to the other country.

lots of cars find their way to Russia.

- Police force practicing ... bahahaa ... it was so funny watching them on the news. It was like a sports event day at high school except they had water cannons. Too bad they never practiced their English or any other language. The Police were busy shouting in Japanese.
- There's also a LILAC womens team to help fight the big bad gaijin.
- Sapporo Dome is going to be a problem the first 3-4 stories are step stair access only. .... nice design ;)
- BiGGEST problems are gonna occur in the drinking districts. Just wait until an unruly gaijin has to pay $500 for 3 beers ;)

oh well ... another day in Japan

[thomas]

J-hooligans?

Cup organizers turn eyes toward local soccer thugs

=> http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20020...fp001001c.html

[moyashi]

Just in from "word of mouth" source.

many of the "gaijin" popular drinking establishments in Susukino - Sapporo are going to be closed during the games.

Big loss of revenue but having seen, heard, prevented, NOT joined bar rumbles ... I can't blame them ... worst case was a stabbing. Another being 30 Japanese (I ****e you not) against 1 Danish guy. Me and another American tried to calm the bar staff down but the pack behavior was stronger than reason ...

[tosh]

Revenue vs. cleanup vs. lawsuits...you just can't take some people anywhere nowadays.

[thomas]

Hehe, poor chaps, what an ordeal to reach Japan from Cameroon:

=> http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20020...dm026000c.html

[tosh]

Those poor guys must have been punch-drunk tired when they got off the plane. Airlines have two um, devices (i forget what they're called) that work directly off the engines. If you shut one down during flight, you can save fuel. These devices cram air into the cabin (in a manner of speaking). I went to Seattle in the '90s on a "budget" minded flight. I felt asif i were stoned, or drunk. They should've called that flight "Ganja Airways". I was so glad to get out into the fresh air...i hate that out of control feeling.

[thomas]

My longest flight to Japan took 21 hours: same plane, 3 crews, 2 stop-overs. I'm generally a bit reluctant to board airplanes, hehe ("aviaphobia" is the correct English term, I was told). My sympathies with Cameroonese team.

[moyashi]

Yeah, well, that small town where they're staying payed FIFA $300,000 to spend a few days with them .... so, they should've been on time.

Plus, what ever they prepared for food, lodgings and what not. Imagine preparing a dinner and having to chuck it since the guests were still in their hometown.

hmmm ... Japan paying the FIFA is really irking me! 1.) that they didn't make Korea do the same thing 2.) the Japanese payed bribe money ... ughhhhhhh

sorry all ... had to left of some steam in public

[tosh]

Do you think they should have a...pool that everyone pays into(for FIFA)?

[thomas]

Another interesting article on British hooligans (in Japanese)

=> http://www.sanspo.com/soccer/top/st2...002060327.html

Btw, the text on the banner below reads:

"Fans of England are really very nice [cho yasashii, honto] !!!
Not hooligans.

[moyashi]

Thanks to the Police's overaction to the Hooligan scare many business lost lots of customers.

I went shopping on Saturday downtown and it was basically barren, later at night was watching the news and noticed that the drinking area even was empty which is normally really busy on weekends after payday was also barren and slow.

Thanks for the economic boost!

[thomas]

I know, some people are just tired of hooligans...
;)

I'm wondering where I can find such a T-shirt...?

=> http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...050213,00.html