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Pomp and ceremony
Japan bids farewell to World Cup
Posted: Sunday June 30, 2002 6:52 AM
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The centerpiece of the closing ceremony was a 20-meter high Mount Fuji balloon. AP |
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- With a 20-meter-high (60-foot-high) replica of Mount Fuji in the center of the field, Japan said goodbye to the first World Cup in Asia with a restrained closing ceremony Sunday that paid tribute to the 32 nations competing for the first championship of the 21st century.
The ceremony at Yokohama International Stadium began about 90 minutes before Brazil and Germany met in the World Cup final, and it started with the flags of all teams being passed from the upper deck to the lower deck and then onto the field. The flags of Japan and South Korea, the first co-hosts in World Cup history, were given special prominence beside the drums.
Shuichi Hidano, who grew up in Yokohama and participated in the handover ceremony at the 1998 World Cup in France, beat ceremonial taiko drums and 640 men carried Mikoshi, a portable shrine used for Shinto festivals. The Emperor of Japan and the President of Korea headed the list of VIPs at Sunday's World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.
The Mount Fuji balloon, 40 meters (120 feet) in diameter, was then inflated near the center circle and welcomed by kimono-clad women. The ceremony ended with oversized flags of Germany and Brazil being passed into the stands behind the goals.
Among those at the stadium were Japanese Emperor Akihito and his wife, Michiko, who sat alongside South Korea President Kim Dae-jung and his wife, Lee Hee-ho, in the Imperial box.
Germany President Johannes Rau also attended along with Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. King Abdullah II of Jordan also was at the game, as were former soccer stars Pele and Diego Maradona -- who originally was denied a Japanese visa because of past drugs offenses.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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