| Abstract | This article analyses the international sport event of the 2002 FIFA World Cup as a lieu de memoire (realm of memory). The analysis will focus on: (1) how memories of the 2002 FIFA World Cup influence the actions and behaviour of Japanese people today; and (2) the memories of those involved at the competition venues and training camps used by the participating national teams. If there is no will to remember, the event becomes just a meaningless date in history. I show how the memories supporting the symbolic reality of the 2002 FIFA World Cup are maintained. The distinction between the Japanese, in general, and people who were directly involved is important in this context. I argue that the 2002 FIFA World Cup has not been transformed into a general realm of memory shared by the Japanese as a whole. By contrast, there are very vivid local and regional memories. The lieu de memoire of the 2002 FIFA World Cup is, therefore, different from typical examples which strengthen national identity. Instead it supports localized remembrances and decentralizes the memory.
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