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Success story during the World Cup finals

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea,
captivated the Japanese public throughout June. In its second
appearance at the World Cup finals, the Japanese team chalked up
its first ever World Cup points and qualified for the knockout
stage as the winner of Group H.

Japan ended its first World Cup appearance in France four
years ago without a single point, but this time the team claimed
seven points by winning two games and drawing one. Although Japan
lost to Turkey in the round of 16, the excitement died down just
a little and many Japanese were delighted with the team's
performance.

Amid a long period of economic troubles, there have been few
pieces of good news for the Japanese public to smile about. But
the performance of Japan made those smiles return to people's
faces.

Japan and Korea were picked to co-host the first FIFA World
Cup in Asia. Until now may observers have described Japan and
South Korea as two countries that are "so near yet so far apart".

But being co-hosts for the World Cup undoubtedly enabled Japan
and Korea to take a step towards closer relations, especially
among the younger generations.