Eve of World Cup Opener: Tama, Mitaka, and Ome Municipalities Rally Behind Samurai Blue

Municipalities Across Tama Raised Their Voices Together

Seeing a city's official account post with the hashtag "SAMURAIBLUE" is an unusual sight.
When local government steps up to cheer for sports, it sends a signal of its own.
The message — "we're rooting for you as a city" — quietly resonates with residents.

On the official X (formerly Twitter) accounts of each city, reposts and comments from residents have been pouring in on the cheering posts.

Why "SAMURAIBLUE" Spread Across the Tama Area

The 2026 World Cup is a joint tournament hosted across three North American countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
With a relatively manageable time difference, it's easy to watch games live on weekday evenings and weekends.
"Compared to the Qatar tournament, this one feels realistic to actually watch" — that's a sentiment heard among residents.

Behind the municipalities' decision to post cheering messages at this moment likely lies an intention to strengthen a sense of community unity.
The push to build local connections through sports has been quietly growing across the cities of the Tama area.

The Response from Resident Communities

Under each city's SNS posts, comments and reposts from residents — "Let's cheer together!" and "Come on, Japan!" — have been coming in steadily.
It looks like the official accounts' posts are becoming a spark that connects residents in conversation.

In Tama City, community-driven event announcements and local information sharing through SNS are thriving.
In Mitaka and Ome as well, having sports cheering posts mixed in with everyday announcements seems to be bringing followers closer.

The fact that official municipal SNS accounts are becoming a "place to cheer" is a phenomenon unique to this tournament.

Watch at Home, in the Community, with Friends

For big-screen public viewing, DAZN viewing events near Tama Center are drawing attention (see our related article).
At the same time, the demand to "not watch alone at home, but get excited with someone" is growing.

In community centers and public halls in Mitaka and Ome, there are cases where viewing gatherings are being organized independently.
Your best bet is to check your city's official website or local bulletin boards.

Let's Cheer on Japan's National Team from the Tama Area

The opening opponent is the Netherlands.
They're a formidable rival, but with even local Tama municipalities raising their voices together, the energy to cheer as residents is higher than ever.

If you follow your city's official SNS, cheering posts and local event information before and after the match will flow through your timeline.
Even if you don't usually check it, take a peek just during this World Cup period.
From the Tama area, let's cheer on Samurai Blue!