Qatar 2022
Qatar was safe and calm. Alcohol restriction actually protects female fans. I didn’t feel any uncomfortable apart from dry and hot whether and toooo long walkways to get to Metro and stadiums. The reality was very different from what I had seen and heard on SNS before visiting there, and maybe different from what you are imagining.
I met so many migrant workers in Qatar at the hotel, caravan city, restaurants, stadiums, and Uber. They are from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar and other Asian countries. They are working under authority and dictatorship of the conservative Islam country.
Why are they working here away from their home? - because it’s BETTER than staying in their countries. It is the best option they have. Qatar offers them A better life.
Right after the match we “lost” against Croatia, huge despair and depression hit on me. I was so sad about losing another chance to show how beautiful and strong my country and the national team were to the world. In the corridor of the stadium, I saw many Asian people and migrants workers who were enjoying the match and supporting Japan. As Morocco represents Africa and Arab world, apparently Japan with Korea represented Asia. Our Asian friends showed me their sad face after the match. But It was easy to know that they were not deeply and truly hurt. Because Japan is not their country. Japan is just their favorite country. This was when I strongly desired that they could have a opportunity in their life that they would feel the same way as I did at that moment - proudly hurt. I was thinking that if their countries have good football team, they can be proud of their countries and also can be hurt by the result of match. Likewise, if their own countries are more trustful and stable enough to give them a life, they can be proud and satisfied with the life at home. This is discussed based on World Cup nationalism, but it’s a good perspective to think about nacion’s development.
On the rest day, I went to Museum of Islamic Art, which shows history and prosperity of Islamic world. It gave me a simple typical question - Why do we have this divided North-South and West-East world? Maybe some people made more efforts to develop their countries and some people didn’t, but Why do we have this much inequality?
I’m from Japan, very very unique country. We have huge and stable economy with the third highest GDP. We have never been colonized from anyone. We have been Japan since more than 2,000 years. We got damaged and devastated by WW. We recovered from the tragedy only after 50 years. We clean the stadium and locker room after the matches regardless of the result. We are always polite and detail oriented. We work too much and some people get depressed and suicide because of too much work.
In a sense, Japan does not belong to any divided world. Japan is always trying and pretending to be friend of everyone. However Japan has very biased way to see the world, or, rather, Japan is recently not interested in any issue in the world, is dull enough to criticize Qatar. Japan needs to recognize its unique role to be played.
This trip made me think about and love Costa Rica as well. Pura Vida is such a amazing concept of life to be shared with more people in the world, especially with the people who are lost and wanna run away from their life.
I know all the countries have own problem, so does CR, which is why I am working for international development, but Costa Rican established democracy, relatively high education level, above all, people’s attitudes to live with nature are worth knowing for everyone on the planet.
Yes, I witnessed and thought about many value of life during my stay in the biggest event in the world.
Human rights? Freedom? Happiness?
What are you talking about?
What value are you forcing on other people?
If you are not willing to contribute to solve someone’s problem, just leave it and get out of here. Live your way of life, if it faces some problems, let’s solve them together.
It is impossible to change the world one night nor alone. The oily city in the desert by the turquoise blue sea gave me so many leanings and ideas.
It sounded alarm bells about this digital world where you have no way to prove reliability of the information. See, feel and then believe.
Ultimately, I appreciate football. Football not only gives me a delight and fun but also always teaches me something important.
Shukran jazeelan to everyone who made this trip posible and real.
