Sharing experiences with the world; inviting children from disaster-stricken areas to the World Cup

With his chonmage (topknot) wig and samurai armour costume, Hirokazu Tsunoda - aka Tsun-san - is one of Japanese football’s most recognisable supporters. Tsun-san has been leading charity initiative to invite children from disaster-stricken areas to the World Cup and the Olympics for 12 years. This year, seven children from the Noto region, which suffered extensive damage in the earthquake two and a half years ago, watched Japan-Netherlands match, participated in various activities. However there have been critiques that this charity initiative—which involves taking children to the World Cup—is extravagant, unnecessary, and unfair as it only benefits a selected few. Why does Tsun-san keep inviting children to the World Cup?

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 https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/fifa-world-cup-2026

Children from Noto area in Japan gave presentation at the Dallas Japanese Association (DJA) in 2026. Credit: Riki Kawashima

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