Volunteers in the village of Nakatsue making Cameroon flags. (Nakatsue Village)     WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WORLD CUP? Online Survey April 18, 2002 Nearly half the respondents are optimistic that the Japanese team will progress past the first round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but about 70% are worried that the tournament will bring such problems as traffic jams and hooliganism. Even so, more than 80% recognize the significance of the World Cup taking place in their local area, and nearly the same proportion expect that the event will have a positive effect on Japanese children. Trends in Japan recently conducted an online survey of residents of the cities that will host World Cup games in June, and it was clear that people attached special significance to the event. Preparations for holding the World Cup are in their final stages, and excitement is building. It looks as if the entire nation will be caught up in World Cup fever throughout the tournament. Excitement and Concern This survey was directed at 100 residents (50 men, 50 women) of four of the ten Japanese cities that will host World Cup matches - Yokohama, Saitama, and Osaka, the three cities where Japan will play its first-round matches, and Fukuroi in Shizuoka Prefecture. The survey began by asking the respondents whether they thought it was significant that the World Cup was being held in their local area, and 80% replied in the affirmative. With multiple answers allowed, the reasons most frequently given were, "Because it's a world-class sporting event" (58%), followed by "I anticipate economic benefits" (39%), "It will showcase our region internationally" (36%), "It will be an opportunity for international exchange" (27%), and "Many famous athletes will visit our area" (26%). When the figures were broken down by gender and age group, we found that 44% of men anticipated economic benefits, and the largest percentage expressing this view, 75%, was found among people in their fifties or older. [See graph 1] Next, we asked "What are some of the worries you have about your area hosting the World Cup?" With multiple responses again permitted, 71% replied "traffic congestion," and 65% said "a deterioration of public order due to hooligans and the like." An additional 29% of people worried that "The huge financial outlays by the local government may negatively impact local citizens." Residents of Shizuoka Prefecture were most worried about traffic jams, at 92%, and people in their forties were especially worried (78%) about hooligans. It appears that hosting the World Cup has already brought about some changes in local residents' lives. Among the most common changes cited (multiple responses permitted) was "I have become interested in soccer," mentioned by 47% of people. Next came "I have begun studying about the histories, cultures, climates, and other national characteristics of the countries participating in the World Cup" (19%) and "I've found out more about the other host, South Korea" (19%). Along with "I've learned more about my own local area" (13%) and "Soccer has given me more opportunities to talk to my own children" (8%), these were the top five items. Other responses included "I have begun participating in my local government's World Cup-related activities" (2%), "I have volunteered to help out with the World Cup" (1%), and "I have begun studying a foreign language to use during the World Cup" (1%). [See graph 2] Half Predict First-Round Success for Japan   Your Name What did you think of this article? It was interesting. It was boring. Send this article to a friend Trends in Japan Home In response to the question, "Do you think that hosting the World Cup locally will have a good effect on the current generation of children?" nearly half, or 42%, said "somewhat," which, added to the 34% who said "I think it will," brings the total of positive respondents to 76%. A mere 24% were in the negative group, saying that they did not think it would have much of an effect. The age groups most likely to be positive were people in their fifties (100%) and forties (94%). When we asked the positive group for their reasons, with multiple responses permitted, the most common response, at 70%, was "They will be able to feel the excitement of having an international sporting event take place nearby." This was followed by "It will inspire children's dreams" at 57%, The next most common responses included "International exchanges will give them an interest in foreign countries" (43%), "They will probably become interested in sports" (37%), and "They will be able to make effective use of the stadiums and other facilities in the future" (24%). We asked whether the respondents felt that it was significant that Japan and South Korea were hosting the event jointly. Nineteen percent of respondents said that they felt that way, and 42% said that they had some such feelings, and adding these figures together gives us a positive majority, or 61%. The percentage of positive responses was highest (76%) among people in their fifties. Finally, we asked them to guess how far Japan would progress in the tournament. Nearly half, or 47%, predicted that Japan would advance past the first-round group stage. The next most common response was "the quarter-finals" (22%), followed by "eliminated in the first round" (21%), and "third place or better" (8%). Incidentally, not one person predicted that Japan would win the World Cup. Looking objectively at the strength of all the other teams taking part in the World Cup, this may be an appropriate conclusion. [See graph 3] Copyright (c) 2002 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.