Nothing has surprised me since the start of the 2026 World Cup as much as the disdain expressed by Japanese women toward the sight of Japanese men in the stands—mostly men—cleaning up after the match with the Dutch team. While the whole world seemed to be praising the Japanese, locally they were met with accusations from women of “hypocrisy” and “showmanship.”

It turned out that their discomfort stemmed from the fact that Japanese men contribute very little to household chores such as cleaning, organizing, mopping, wiping, cooking, and caring for children. Yet at football matches, they transform into a kind of “Roomba” vacuum, tirelessly picking up every last speck of dust. A study conducted in Japan on full-time working men and women revealed that women spend 21 more hours per week on housework, while their husbands manage only 5 hours on average—less than an hour a day.

Khalaf Matches Shingo

I admit I laughed in a “Gulf” way, at how similar Japanese women are to us, when one of us complains that her husband turns into “Chef Gordon Ramsay” on youthful trips with his friends to the desert—grilling stuffed lamb, preparing perfect rice, “adjusting” spices, and chopping a side salad, while at home he struggles to toast bread and spread cheese on it.

I believe that what these men’s behavior outside the home reveals speaks louder than words—whether in Arabic or Japanese—about their appreciation of women’s contributions in housework and child-rearing.

Between the Lines

When a Japanese man cleans a stadium and bends energetically between the seats, or when a Gulf man cooks at a camp and washes the dirty dishes, he becomes “visible” to others, earning praise, thanks, and a good reputation. There is always a TV camera filming, and positive social media posts celebrating the “polite Japanese man.” There are always friends praising the excellent “biryani” in their circles, expressing gratitude to the “world-class chef” who prepared it.

This is the clearest acknowledgment from these men that the same tasks performed inside the home, and thus carried out by women, who remain the primary ones responsible according to all statistics, are unseen, unacknowledged, uncelebrated, unpaid, and taken for granted by both family and society.

Moreover, when a man takes on these tasks outside the home, they are often temporary, quick, simplified, and brief, designed to be completed within a few hours and enjoyed, much like the free “propaganda” Japanese men are receiving at the World Cup now. This also reflects how these same tasks, when left inside the home and placed solely on women’s shoulders, are long, repetitive, and monotonous, ultimately endless.