Japanese football fans have drawn international acclaim for their habit of cleaning stadiums after matches. But sources confirm what many women already know: the same men who scrub seats in Qatar often refuse to lift a finger at home.
A growing movement of Japanese women is now calling time on this double standard. 'They will clean a stadium for the cameras but leave their own socks on the floor,' one Tokyo-based activist told me. The hashtag #ProudOfOurMess has been trending in Japan this week, challenging the notion that cleaning is solely a woman's burden.
Uncovered documents from a 2021 survey by the Japanese government show that men spend just 41 minutes per day on unpaid domestic labour. That is roughly one-fifth of the time women spend. Despite years of 'womenomics' policies, the gap remains stubbornly wide. One source, a mother of two in Osaka, put it bluntly: 'He will pack trash bags for strangers but not for his own family.'
The irony is not lost on those who watched the World Cup. As images of Japanese fans picking up litter went viral, so did a counter-narrative: that the same men hold traditional views at home. A post on X from user @MakiMaki_D says: 'Let them clean the stadium. Then let them clean the kitchen.'
This story began weeks ago. Footage from Qatar showed fans staying behind to tidy the stands. The praise was global. But it also ignited a domestic debate that has been simmering for decades.
Japan ranks 116th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report. The country has no law banning marital rape, and women in politics are a rarity. In the corporate sector, the glass ceiling is thick: only 8 per cent of executives are women.
But this movement is not about shaming the cleaners. It is about exposing the gap between public performance and private reality. As one analyst told me: 'It is easy to clean a stadium once. It is harder to clean a home every day.'
The government has not responded to requests for comment. But the debate shows no sign of fading. A petition calling for mandatory paternity leave and shared domestic chores has gathered over 50,000 signatures.
For now, the men of Japan continue to sweep stadiums. But the women are watching. And they are done with the act.
Contact this journalist at [email protected]. Tips protected.
