PLANO – Saturday night, McCall Plaza in Plano became the unofficial hub for Japanese national team fans and Plano residents alike.
The city hosted its first-ever Japan Day, an event in collaboration with Ultras Nippon, the official supporters’ group for the Japanese national team, and the Dallas Beer Guardians supporter group of FC Dallas. The event was held ahead of Japan’s first match in the 2026 World Cup against the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium on Sunday, June 14.
Daiki Fujii and his friend, Geata, headed directly to the plaza after their 11-hour flight from Tokyo, Japan, landed with all of their luggage still in tow and lumbered around the town square.
Initially, the pair intended to leave a day later but left earlier because of a plane issue on their initial flight. Because of that, their Airbnb wasn’t available until Sunday, so they were winging it while they figured out their schedule.
“We need to book another place to stay today,” Fujii said.
Their early wants were to try Texas brisket for the first time and make a trip to see the American Airlines Center, where the Dallas Mavericks play, as Geata also plays basketball as a point guard. Both, of course, will be at Sunday’s match, with Geata also planning to stay and go to Japan’s match against Sweden on June 25. Both are optimistic about both matches despite Fujii’s favorite player, Kaoru Mitoma, missing the World Cup due to injury.
Among the key figures at the event were former Japanese figure skating champion Fumie Suguri, now a resident of Frisco. State representative Mihaela Plesa also greeted the crowd, mostly donning the Japanese team’s iconic blue shirts, as well as former FC Dallas and United States forward Kenny Cooper, a Jesuit High School graduate and current Plano native.
“This game’s taken me all over the world,” Cooper said. “What I love about soccer is that it unites us and gives us opportunities like this to gather, to be a community, to show love and to feel this amazing energy, and tonight is just a wonderful example of that.”
Haruya Mizutani and his father, also in town for Japan’s match against the Netherlands on Sunday, were staying just down the road from McCall Plaza with family. It was their first time in Texas all the way from Nagoya, Japan. The shortest direct flight to Dallas from Nagoya is 16 hours.
Mizutani sported a Kaishū Sano No. 24 shirt along with a Texas Longhorns baseball hat that he bought in town on Friday, the day after they flew in.
“You gotta get something from Texas,” Mizutani said.
They’d already had Longhorn Steakhouse, where they were fans of the half-rack of ribs, and made a day trip to the Stockyards in Fort Worth. Outside of the match itself, the father and son are just looking forward to experiencing what Texas has to offer before heading back home Wednesday morning.
“Now we were just chilling downtown,” Mizutani said. “We don’t have a plan yet so we’re just gonna chill in Dallas.”
AloJapan.com