The Eastern Edge

Interesting bit of news following Japan's choke last Monday against Australia;

NIRASAKI, Yamanashi - A fight that broke out at a public screening event after Japan lost to Australia in the World Cup on Monday night left three people injured.

The public screening of the match was held at Nirasaki Municipal Government Gymnasium on Monday night. About 500 people watched the match on a large screen set up in the gymnasium.

After Australia beat Japan 3-1, about 10 Japanese fans began fighting, with some accusing each other of smiling even though Japan lost.

Police officers rushed to the gymnasium and found that three fans were slightly injured. (Mainichi)

I'm glad I wasn't in that group because I wasn't smiling, I was laughing at the way Japan lost that match. If I was watching the game with these guys they probably all would have ganged up on me as a symbol of the gloating white-guy (most Japanese honestly don't know the difference between the various English speaking countries. We're all the same - i.e. American - just with different regional accents to them, I think).

Soccer, or Football if you prefer, may be the "beautiful game" but the fans are often anything but. However, it is a testiment to Japanese society that only 10 of 500 got into the fight and only three people were "slightly injured".
In other countries people die over Soccer.

Of course, as a Canadian, I don't understand any of it. With pro sports, we prefer to let the players beat the crap out of each other while we enjoy the game.