SENDAI -- Have the Japanese people ever been so excited before?
As the cohost played each of its World Cup matches in the first round -- a draw in its first game against Belgium on June 4, a win over Russia in its second on June 9 and another win over Tunisia on June 14 to qualify for the second round -- the excitement of the nation has grown exponentially.
Soon after the Tunisia game in Osaka on Friday, the Osaka-style celebration started -- with fans jumping into the Dotonbori River in the downtown area of Japan's second largest city. By the following morning, some 900 people had reportedly taken the plunge, while thousands of others excitedly looked on.