Japan Celebrates As Team Enters Last 16 Of World Cup

There were jubilant scenes in Tokyo on Friday following the Japanese football team’s victory over Denmark that ensured the Asian side qualified for the round of 16 of the World Cup in South Africa

Thousands of football fans cheered on the national team in the early hours of Friday morning as the team triumphed 3-1 in Rustenburg (on Thursday night South African time).

Public viewings were held across the country, even at the Danish embassy in Tokyo, where the ambassador invited 200 Japanese and Danish fans to watch the game together.

Extra newspaper editions reporting the impressive result were circulated at the main Tokyo station and businessmen stopped and read the paper before heading to the office.

Japanese chief cabinet secretary Yoshito Sengoku began his daily media conference by congratulating the team.  “Although I am so tired (as I watched the match), just like so many of you, I wish to share this joy with all the people of Japan,” he said.

The Japanese reached the knockout round for the second time and will meet Paraguay, who won Group F.  They also progressed in 2002 when they were co-hosts of the World Cup with South Korea, but missed out in two other editions.

The team’s success in the group stage has had a positive financial effect on stores selling football merchandise.  Sales at the “Kamo” football goods store chain were up by about 200 percent over the last couple of days, according to the retailer.

The customers kept streaming into the “Kamo” shop in downtown Tokyo to buy Japanese football shirts and the manager expected those trends to continue leading up to the Paraguay match. AP