Japan is reeling from its 3-1 loss to Australia. Deborah Cameron was in Tokyo, keeping a low profile.
DISBELIEF, tears and grief swirled through Japan yesterday, closely pursued by the definite whiff of blame and recrimination. The national coach, Zico, with the head of the soccer federation and the star player, were the targets. Tokyo sports tabloids, known for their blunt and racy language, called for their heads.
The sports tabloid Nikkan Gendai blamed incompetent Zico; arrogant Nakata; dictator Kawabuchi. (Hidetoshi Nakata is Japan's star midfield defender and a national celebrity, and Kawabuchi is the president of the Japan Football League who is sometimes referred to as the emperor.)
Not long before leaving for Germany, Zico, the former Brazilian superstar, said he half expected to be sacked if Japan lost to Australia. He said at the time that the game was the most important one of the competition for Japan as it would make or break the team psychology.
Yesterday, the mood in Tokyo was bleak, and Zico is probably glad to be ending his contract voluntarily immediately after the World Cup campaign.
"Collapse in Kaiserslautern" screamed the headline of The Daily Yomiuri.
While early newspaper editions were uplifting, there was no escaping the dreadful end or the depressing scoreline.
"It was a nightmare," reported the Sankei Sports newspaper and a "tragedy" according to Chunichi Sports.
Australia's strikers and Japan's goalkeeper, Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, broke the hearts of 130 million Japanese.
"He is our very best," said Kenichiro Kawata, who runs a tea shop in Tokyo with his parents, and who was among a crowd of about 400 who watched the game on a big screen at the Nakata.net Cafe, which was set up about a month ago to cash in on World Cup fever.
After the first half the crowd was deliriously happy, certain that Australia was done for.
Tomo Nori, a university student, who like almost everyone else there wore the team's bright blue, apologised and bowed deeply to this reporter, saying that of course Japan would be victorious because Australia was the weakest team in Group F.
"Sorry, I do apologise. Really, I'm sorry," he said.
Even after Australia's game-equalling goal, the mood did not change. Acknowledging the eight Australian fans in the room, the Japanese supporters cheered just as loudly for the equalising goal as they had for their own. But by the time the third goal was scored, there was no spark left and tears flowed.
Less than two hours before, the event's master of ceremonies, a Bert Newton-style showman, had warmed up the party by sending out trays and trays of free white coffees.
This was, he said, a traditional Australian cafe drink made at Nakata.net with specially imported Australian milk. The toast that he proposed was: "Let's gulp down those Australians." But it proved hard to swallow.

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