With the soccer World Cup coming up, LDP parliamentarians met on June 6 with ambassadors and embassy staff members from countries in the First League (Cote d'Ivoire, Greece, and Colombia) for a game of futsal at a court in Sumida-ku, Tokyo. The party fielded a team of seven, led by Ichiro Aisawa, member of the House of Representatives (HoR).

"We look forward to seeing great things from Japan and the other participating countries during the World Cup," Mr. Aisawa (HoR) said, during the Opening Ceremony. Representatives from the other countries expressed their hope that the friendship developed during the futsal matches would lead to developments in other areas.

Matches were 15 minutes each, with countries facing off against each other. The day closed with a combined Japan-Cote d'Ivoire team playing a combined Greece-Colombia team. Japan had 0 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw.