Fukushima Motivated Soccer Victory

Just had a wonderful interview with Japanese radio broadcaster Hirofumi Nakano of FM station J-Wave, talking about what’s at stake for Japan’s women’s soccer team as they take on the US in this Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final.

He told me that prior to the Japan match with Germany last weekend, Japan’s coach showed the team video in the locker room. It wasn’t because of Germany’s offensive ploys. It was frightening footage from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, post-tsunami, post-meltdown.

Nakano said, after the viewing, the team was in tears, and apparently so motivated that they were able to take the win from favored Germany, clinched by number 18 Karina Maruyama in the 108th minute of play.

This wasn’t the only Fukushima connection to the Women’s World Cup. Maruyama herself used to work for TEPCO. In fact, she worked at the Fukushima plant from 2005-2009. Here’s what Reuters reported this week:

A substitute on the Japanese women’s national soccer team who led her country to its first ever World Cup semi-final appearance counts among her supporters workers battling to bring under control the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.

Not surprising, perhaps — some are former colleagues from when Karina Maruyama herself worked at Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the operator of the nuclear plant crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The 28-year-old Maruyama has become a national heroine after coming off the bench to score an extra-time winner against the heavily favoured defending champion Germany on Saturday …

What I’d like to know is: Will the Japanese women again watch Fukushima video before the match against the United States on Sunday? And if so, will it have the same effect?