Japanese Students See Football Heroines In Action

Aquinas’ Japanese students had an unforgettable experience this month when they flew to Wellington to see their country’s FIFA World Cup heroines win big at the Cake Tin.

They and 33,000 other football fans crowded into the iconic stadium to see Japan score a 3-1 victory over Norway. The group travelled with the school’s Director of International Students Claire Bentley.

The students sang the national anthem with huge spirit, chanted in Japanese with the crowd, and were so proud as the Japanese women’s football team earned the victory. A couple of our Japanese mums (in Japan) messaged to say they were watching the World Cup game in Japan and saw the students on Japanese TV waving the flags ferociously!

Two of our Japanese students wrote about the experience:

Rika Teraoka:

This is one of my unforgettable New Zealand experiences. We went to Wellington to watch the women’s football World Cup. The game was scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. so we had time to walk around town. We saw many high buildings, a double-decker bus and the Beehive. We also took a cable car ride. When we arrived at the top, you could see a very beautiful landscape.

Before the game, we did face painting. The Japanese flag looks easy to draw but the reality was totally different. It is simple, that’s why it is difficult! After that, it was time to watch the game. We sang the national anthem and cheered for the Japanese team with lots of energy.

The score was 3-1 and the Japanese team won the game. I was touched to realize that there were many people who supported Japan. I think it is lovely that there are people who support other countries so seriously in matches held in their own country. I appreciate our lovely International Director and our Japanese families for allowing us to go to Wellington.

Hiroaki Sainen:

I went to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Wellington on August 6th. The match that I watched was Japan vs Norway and it was held in the Sky stadium. It was a bit cold outside of the stadium, though the inside of the stadium was filled with a lot of people and a hot atmosphere. I was super excited that I met many Japanese people and cheered for Japan together. Also, I was so happy that Japan beat Norway with the score of 3-1.