Japan Bathes In Glory Of World Cup Win

Japan erupted in joy early Monday after their women's football team won the World Cup in Germany, hailing the "dream come true" as a welcome boost after this year's quake and tsunami disaster.

Supporters watched the cliff-hanger 3-1 penalty shootout win over twice champions the United States live on television at home, in sports bars and in public places across the country.

Hundreds of fans, many of them clad in blue Japan jerseys, bundled out onto the streets of Shibuya, a hub of Tokyo's nightlife, chanting "Nippon! Nippon!" after the match ended at around 6:20 am on Monday.

"Nadeshiko, the world number-ones!" read a headline in an extra edition of the influential daily Asahi Shimbun handed out in Tokyo.

The Nadeshiko is a neat pink flower cherished in Japan as a symbol of feminine beauty and grace, belying the squad's tough giant-killing run to their first World Cup final.

"It's a dream come true for Nadeshiko Japan. They beat the United States for the first time... Nadeshiko have triumphed and stood on the top of the world," cried an announcer on the Fuji TV network in live coverage.

"They played patiently and patiently to bathe themselves in glory."

"It all ended with a smile on the faces of Nadeshiko," the public broadcaster NHK said. "They have reached the top for the first time in the 30 years since women's football has been going in Japan."

The win would come as a big boost to the spirits of those still struggling to rebuild their lives after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, it said.

"They have kept saying they would bring courage to the victims of the quake disaster."

- AFP