With co-hosting in 2002 still fresh in the memory, Japan's bid to stage the World Cup for a second time in 2022 was always going to be a hard sell.
A leadership change on the bid committee has muddied the waters further, but comments made by FIFA's visiting inspection team last week served as a reminder of what Japan has in its favor.
Harold Mayne-Nicholls, head of the Chilean F.A. and the man overseeing site visits on behalf of world soccer's governing body, called Japan's bid "a very balanced product" that "mixes football traditions with modern stadiums, new technology and environmental projects integrated with the world."