Fans of the national soccer team were reflective on Tuesday after Japan's loss to Belgium in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage, with many looking back fondly on their better-than-expected performance in Russia.
A win would have secured the team's first ever advancement to the World Cup quarterfinals. Although the game started at 3 a.m. for fans in Japan, viewer ratings averaged 30.8 percent in the Kanto region and 28.3 percent for the Kansai region, reaching a peak of 42.6 percent in Kanto.
Several fans interviewed by The Japan Times in Tokyo were disappointed with the loss, but they looked back fondly at the team's ups and downs and expressed pleasant surprise at Japan's success.