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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.