The politeness and sense of respect of the Japanese no longer need to be proven. Images regularly show Japanese supporters cleaning their stands after matches. On the pitch, Jamie Joseph’s men chose to pay homage to the host country of the World Cup, France, by wearing a fleur-de-lys on their jersey.
Against Chile (42-12 victory) and England (34-12 defeat), the Japanese played with the symbol of the kings of France on their chest. In the summer of 2022, the XV of France carried out a summer tour in Japan. The opportunity for Fabien Galthié’s men, most of whom did not take part in the 2019 World Cup on Japanese soil, to learn about local culture.