The Foreign Ministry is taking extra measures to ensure the safety of Japanese soccer fans who are visiting the Brazilian city of Recife, which has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, to see Japan's team open its World Cup campaign Saturday night.
Some 7,000 fans from Japan are expected to attend the Samurai Blue's match against Cote d'Ivoire at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, in northeastern Brazil. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m.
Since the stadium is a considerable distance from the city's main hub, fans will be returning to their hotels and other lodgings after midnight.