World-Cup-is-over Syndrome spreads

Updated: Sunday June 30, 2002 06:47 a.m. ET

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YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- A new ailment may soon sweep Japan: the-World-Cup-is-over Syndrome.

"They have been talking about it on television here," said Erwan Le Bras, a Frenchman who has worked six years in Japan for a French software maker.

"People are feeling a little depressed. Maybe some aren't finding baseball interesting anymore. Maybe their boyfriend or girlfriend is not looking as attractive as a month ago."

"This is being discussed seriously on TV."

Since the World Cup opened May 31 -- and really since South Korea and Japan were awarded the event in 1996 -- the clock has been counting down to the World Cup final.

Outside sprawling Yokohama Station on Sunday, Junko Hisamatsu looked up at countdown clock that displayed a glowing "0."

"This is the number of days remaining in the World Cup," said Hisamatsu, who works in a nearby hotel. "I think I remember when it was 365. Maybe it's just a little sad it's over."

"Usually Japanese are very shy, they are not used to speaking to foreigners. But here we all had soccer to talk about."

The Japanese raved about their national team making the round of 16 before losing to Turkey 1-0. Co-host South Korea did even better, becoming the first Asian side to reach the World Cup semifinals before losing 1-0 to Germany.

As the Daily Yomiuri newspaper pointed out, European and South Americans can no longer regard the two nations as "nothing but a couple of small countries form the soccer hinterlands of the Far East."

Akiko Oyama, who works in the same hotel, said she had been "very moved by the football and all the foreign people." She said a farewell celebration at Yamashita Park -- flush against Yokohama's sprawling harbor -- made "me feel very emotional but very sad the World Cup is ending."

The formal closing ceremony for the World Cup took place Sunday at 72,000-seat International Stadium Yokohama. Across town, 5,000 gathered at large gymnasium to watch the match on close-circuit. Several thousand more viewed it on a large-screen TV outdoors in Yamashita Park.

"It has been a very big highlight. Not happy or sad. I'd say it's been exciting," said Akihiro Kishi, a clerk in Tokyu Hands, an outdoor store selling all kinds of Japanese gadgets.

A section of the store -- called World Cup corner -- stocked face paint, wigs, masks and Halloween-like costume for fanatical soccer fans.

"So many people from all over have come in here to buy flag sticker, paint their face ... from Africa, South America," he said. "Some days I felt like it was a big party here."

The manager of a FIFA-authorized gift store, Masayuki Sawada will be moving to another sporting goods shop after Sunday.

"We've had customers from so many countries. My English is not so good, and there Japanese is not so good, but we have communicated."

Even non-soccer bred Americans have been caught up in the World Cup.

"People who had absolutely no interest in football have become football fans, including myself," said Melinda Clarke, an American who teaches English in Japan. "I'm an American football fan. I never watch soccer. I live with a group of foreigners and it's the same thing; we all became nuts about soccer."

Sayonara.