It’s hard to deny that the stadium cleanup scenes FIFA often highlights are a form of propaganda carefully orchestrated by specific Japanese supporter groups. That said, it’s also not true — as some critics claim — that this custom barely exists in Japan. In reality, many fans do quietly clean up after matches even when no cameras are around. It was only after the media started widely reporting on it that the practice became heavily “propagandized.” That’s probably the most accurate picture of the situation.