Photo/Illutration Ryoichi Kamimura, a former official of the Tokamachi municipal government in Niigata Prefecture, on Dec. 3 stands behind a monument at a soccer ground in the city where the Croatian team trained before the 2002 World Cup. (Shota Tomonaga)

TOKAMACHI, Niigata Prefecture--This city might be the only municipality that will hear Japanese cheers erupt if Croatia scores against Japan at the World Cup in Qatar.

The Japan-Croatia match in the round of 16 will start at midnight Dec. 5 Japan time. Fans across the country will be staying up late hoping that Japan can pull off another upset against a European power and reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

But Ryoichi Kamimura, 75, a former official of the Tokamachi municipal government, said: “I have mixed feelings. I want Croatia to win, too.”

The city and its residents developed strong ties with Croatia during another World Cup, the 2002 event co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.

Tokamachi was picked as the venue for the Croatian team’s training camp before the tournament.

Kamimura headed an office managing a training camp promotion committee, and he coordinated exchange opportunities between the Croatian players and Tokamachi’s residents.

That was the start of the Tokamachi-Croatia relationship that has remained tight for 20 years.

The Croatian players in 2002 happily took part in the exchanges, including giving soccer lessons to local children and holding nine training sessions open to the public.

One of the players, Niko Kovac, gifted his No. 10 soccer jersey to Kamimura before he left the city.

“It made me realize that the best soccer players are also the best in manners and consideration for people,” Kamimura said.

He has since supported Croatian players, including during a youth soccer game in Japan.

In 2003, Tokamachi started a now annual soccer competition called the “Croatia Cup.” The European country’s soccer association has provided the trophy for the winning team.

The city again hosted a training camp for Croatian athletes before the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Tomoya Kaizawa, 53, the owner of an “izakaya” pub called “Davor” in the city, also has a strong connection with Croatian soccer.

Before the start of the 2002 World Cup, Kaizawa was working as a chef at a hotel in the city where the Croatian players were staying.

He was particularly impressed with one of the players, Davor Suker.

“He is a great soccer player and a kind man, too,” Kaizawa recalled thinking at the time.

Suker won the Golden Boot in the 1998 World Cup in France by scoring six goals in seven matches.

In Tokamachi, more than 100 children and adults asked Suker for his autograph at a local soccer lesson. He never showed reluctance and happily accepted all of the requests.

Kaizawa said that when he saw that scene, he suddenly thought, “I want to open a bar with his name.”

Although he had no concrete plans for the bar, he asked Suker to write texts and draw an illustration on “shikishi” Japanese message cards for use in the sign of the future pub.

Suker was happy to oblige and asked Kaizawa, “When will you open your bar?”

Kaizawa replied, “Next year.”

He quit his job and opened the pub a year after meeting Suker.

“I started my own bar thanks to Suker, and 20 years quickly passed,” Kaizawa said. “I have been able to keep the bar somehow.”

The match in Qatar will be the third World Cup meeting between Japan and Croatia.

Croatia defeated Japan in the 1998 World Cup. The teams played to a draw at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Their next match will be the first outside of the group stage.

A public viewing event will be held in Tokamachi for the game. Organizers of the event are encouraging participants to “support both teams.”

“I could have cheered for both teams in this World Cup if they were not pitted against each other,” Kaizawa said. “But I look forward to seeing how they play the game.”

(This article was written by Shota Tomonaga and Kaho Matsuda.)

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