From Tokyo bars to a Buddhist temple, for millions of Japanese football fans the emotions were the same—pinch-me optimism to crushing disappointment, all in the space of 25 agonising minutes.

During the closing stages of Japan's Last 16 match with Belgium in Rostov-on-Don, the Samurai Blue were 2-0 up and on course for their first World Cup quarter-final. But by the final whistle, substitute Nacer Chadli had scored in injury time as Belgium fought back to win 3-2, stunning Japan's fans into silence. "I'm so frustrated," Ryota Iwakiri said bitterly at a bar in Tokyo.