The Celtic support is world renowned for their colour, passion and noise.
We have seen many world-class superstars comment on the atmosphere at Celtic Park on a European night and, to be honest, it is hard to find a stadium that is as noisy as the Paradise support no matter what the pretenders on Glasgow’s south side think.
But are we really that different from any other fans around the world or do we just see ourselves through our own green tinted glasses?
Soccer Digest decided to ask two of Celtic’s Japanese stars that very question.
Reo Hatate and Tomoki Iwata gave their thoughts in an interview and when asked what the difference between Japan and Celtic supporters was [Soccer Digest via Yahoo Japan], Iwata said, “I think they share the same feeling of support, but the atmosphere at the game and the way they get excited is unique.
“It’s amazing that everyone stands up and is happy when a goal is scored”.
Hatate then chipped in, “I’m a Marinos fan, so can I answer that?
“We share the same feeling of support, but I think the culture is different. I feel that the image of Japan is judo or baseball rather than soccer is quite ingrained, for me.
“Japan, I don’t think it’s much like football. Here, football is equal, so I wonder if that kind of culture is different.
“But that’s why if we can create a culture like Japan football, the fans will be able to enjoy it even more, and the players will be able to shine on the pitch, so that’s where we current players need to work even harder.
“However, the support that kind of support is really different from Japan and overseas, so I hope we can do our best.”
Hatate has become a fans favourite with his incredible skill on the ball and his industrious work rate for the side. As for Iwata, he has shown fleeting glimpses with the limited game time he has had that he will be a quality first team midfielder for Celtic for the next few seasons to come.