The grass at the Kashima Soccer Stadium is a lush green. The stadium was designed specifically for soccer, which explains why spectators might feel they are almost touching the players there. The close feeling gives the stadium its nickname, "the playhouse stadium." To accommodate World Cup events, the stands were heightened to increase seating capacity from 15,000 to 41,800, and the playing field was replanted with a strain of grass called Kentucky Bluegrass.

The man in charge of the turf, Yaguchi Yoichi, told me, "Kentucky Bluegrass is ideal for soccer. But it's a cool-climate variety of grass, so it's susceptible to disease during hot spells. Summer in Japan is hot and humid, so one big challenge is to find a way to keep the turf healthy."

A breeze helps the grass grow well, but Yaguchi worries that the air might be more stagnant since the stands were remodeled. Each morning, he inspects the field without fail. If necessary, he sets eight huge fans in motion to blow in fresh air, and changes the watering schedule.

There's a note of pride in his voice when he says, "We want the world's best soccer players to be able to say that the turf at Kashima was the best they ever played on."

Tanabata is one of Japan's summer festivals, held once a year, usually on July 7. The festival has its roots in China, and provides an opportunity to make a wish on the stars. Tanabata is celebrated in different ways throughout the country. In Sendai, a large city in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu, it is a huge celebration filled with decorations.

Over the last two years, massive parades have been held during Sendai's Tanabata to root for the success of the upcoming soccer World Cup. Korean residents in the prefecture were invited to join in the parades as a way to strengthen links with Korea, the co-host of the World Cup. They marched in the city with local professional soccer players and members of youth teams.

One man carrying a large banner in the parade was Sato Yasuyuki. A parade participant for the last five years, he says, "Sendai's Tanabata is one of the most famous festivals of the Tohoku region. Marching in the festival is a way to get more people to think about our hosting some of the World Cup matches. I marched in the hope that everyone will band together to make the games a success. The World Cup will be a great opportunity to introduce people from all over the globe to our region and to the city of Sendai."

We can be sure that the World Cup will be a success, because of people like Sato and his fellow citizens in Sendai.