Thirty-three hour trip for … nothing. On November 10, 2018, Isamu Kato, blue and yellow cap grafted on the skull, arrives in Buenos Aires. This Japanese supporter of the Argentine club Boca Juniors thinks he can attend the final leg of the Copa Libertadores between the Xeneizes (the “Genoese”, the nickname of Boca players) and their best enemies, River Plate. Mercilessly, the sky has nothing to do with his passion and pours down on the Boca district. Game canceled. Isamu resumes his flight at two stops. In thirty-three hours, he’ll be back in Saitama, north of Tokyo.
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This mishap intrigues the Argentinian media, who wonder how a Japanese can become a hincha (supporter) of an antipodes club. The answer can be summed up in two words: Intercontinental Cup. In 2000, the ancestor of the Club World Championship was contested in Japan. Young Isamu, 13, stumbles upon the TV finale. Martin Palermo’s Boca Juniors won against Real Madrid by Luis Figo and Raul. Isamu is as much seduced by the nonchalant dribbling of Juan Roman Riquelme as by the show in the stands: “When I watched this match, I only heard the 10,000 Boca supporters. Their passion was fascinating. I immediately wanted to be part of it. “ He begins by learning Spanish until university and soaks up Boca songs on YouTube. In 2009, he is finally ready. He has a date with the Bombonera, the hottest stadium in Argentina.
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On social networks, Isamu was already followed by a small band of hinchas, intrigued by this Japanese filming himself singing the hymn of their club in the streets of Tokyo. Juan Pablo, 46 years of love for Boca, is one of them and has fond memories of the arrival of the Japanese: “On the plane, he kept his shirt and scarf with the flag always ready to be taken out of the bag. An extraterrestrial. “ Each time the Nippon invites himself to Buenos Aires, it is Juan Pablo who hosts it, six times in ten years. The first visits are done in discretion to blend in with the 49,000 xeneize fans.
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“It was highlighted by the newspapers and it annoyed some fans who do not want the stadium to become an attraction for tourists”
Matteo, responsible for the communication of the hinchas of Boca Juniors in Paris
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The failed trip of 2018 is a game-changer. Isamu’s media coverage leads to a multiplication of friends and … enmities. Matteo, responsible for the communication of the hinchas from Boca to Paris, explains: “It was highlighted by the newspapers and it annoyed some fans who do not want the stadium to become an attraction for tourists. “ With the economic crisis that is hitting Argentina, some resell tickets bought for € 50 at a gold price (sometimes more than € 400) to visitors who are delighted to get dirty by mixing with Barra Bravas, the local ultras. Guido, 28, socio-resident Lujan, 70 km from the stadium, abounds: “My pena (group of supporters) is located two hours by bus. We sacrifice a lot for our club. So, at first, you see this Japanese disguised as a fan, you are suspicious. You wonder if it will not distort your stadium. “ But Isamu was able to conquer the most refractory: “Now I am on Instagram, admits Guido. I saw that he went to support Boca at the Futsal World Championship. It was the only hincha. Respect. “
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The 32-year-old Nippon regularly travels to Buenos Aires, where he sympathizes with local supporters in the stands of La Bombonera. (Twitter photo / isamilanga)
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If it is now accepted in Argentina, what about the country? In Saitama, the 32-year-old Japanese has just launched his brand of T-shirts in his likeness and in Boca colors, hoping to attract new Japanese recruits. The name of its label: Descontrolado (Uncontrollable). To quench his thirst for football between two Xeneizes matches, Isamu became a fan of a Japanese 5th Division club: the Okinawa SV. Its owner, Naohiro Takahara, has the perfect CV. The former striker played Boca Juniors in 2001. A short experience (only six months), but which made him create his club in the colors … yellow and blue. The most beautiful for Isamu. And when the drum itches, head to the matches of the five youth academies that Boca has created, in Tokyo and Saitama.
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Why not take the plunge and move to Buenos Aires? “Before, I wanted to live there. Now I welcome Boca supporters when they are in Japan. I’m more useful to the club here. “ And too bad for the pungent jet lag (12 hours) which places matches in the middle of the night or in the early morning. He follows the meetings on Twitter, where his friends post videos of the atmosphere in the stands. In Japan, fan groups are used to singing to encourage opposing fans. Sign of his complete adaptation to the Boca family, Isamu puts his courtesy in his hat when we talk to him about the hinchas of River Plate: “I don’t know any in Japan, but if there are any, they are sons of p …” Love has no borders. Neither are the rivalries.
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