FIFA World Cup: FOX 4 tours Team Japan headquarters in Tokyo
TOKYO, Japan - FOX 4 went overseas to get a closer look at one of the teams playing in North Texas during the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Japan Football Association HQ in Tokyo
FOX 4's Steven Dial recently spent time in Japan on vacation.
While in Tokyo, he met with the Japan Football Association, who gave him a tour of the Japan national football team's training facility.
The Japanese national team has made every FIFA World Cup since 1998, and has advanced to the knockout stage in the past two tournaments.
The team is currently the highest ranked Asian team in FIFA rankings, but Japanese fans Dial spoke with expressed nervous excitement for their team's chances this summer.
Kaoru Mitoma, who plays for Premier League club Brighton, was not named to the team's roster for the World Cup as he recovers from a hamstring injury, and many think he is the team's best player.
Japan's public transit
One noticeable thing Dial learned during his Japan trip is how important the public transportation system is.
Japanese fans who travel to North Texas to see their team will have a different kind of transit system to get used to.
Fans using public transportation are asked to take the Trinity Railway Express from Dallas or Fort Worth to the CentrePort station south of DFW Airport.
From there, they will take a charter bus to a parking lot north of the stadium. From there, it's a 10-minute walk to Dallas Stadium.
FIFA organizers in North Texas unveiled more transportation plans for fans in April.
‘Samurai Blue’ coverage
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 31: Japan supporters display banners and flags in the stands prior to during the international friendly match between England and Japan at Wembley Stadium on March 31, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Image
Dial has been assigned to cover Japan's national team, known as the ‘Samurai Blue’, for this summer's World Cup.
He previously talked to a Japan fan who traveled to England in March to watch Team Japan beat England for the first time ever in an international friendly.
Another fan he spoke to grew up in Texas but now lives in Tokyo, and will be traveling to North Texas to see Japan's lone match in Dallas-Fort Worth.
What's next:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11. Japan will play their lone game in North Texas on June 14 against the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium.
DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 13: A detailed view of the FIFA World Cup 2026 sign inside Dallas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, on April 13, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
FOX 4 FIFA World Cup Coverage
Other FOX 4 reporters have been covering their national teams who will play in North Texas during the World Cup's group stage in anticipation of the tournament. Read some of their stories below.
Croatia (Alex Boyer)
Croatia fever gets ready to descend upon North Texas
Globetrotting Croatia fan plans road trip through North Texas for World Cup
The Netherlands (Peyton Yager)
Dallas Arboretum pays tribute to Dutch team with flower displays
Local Dutch restaurant prepares for influx of Netherlands fans
Fans of the Netherlands to bring orange double-decker bus to Texas
England (Amelia Jones)
London Calling Texas brings vintage soccer threads to the metroplex
Soccer fan sells his home in England to pay for World Cup trip to Dallas
Argentina (Vania Castillo)
Argentina seeks to defend 2022 title with two matches in North Texas
The Source: Information in this story comes from FOX 4 reporting.