By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism, where sports events of various kinds can attract a lot of tourists. Mayumi, a Japanese woman, was one of the tourists who came to Kuwait to attend the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2022, which was held in Kuwait from Sept 27 to Oct 8, to cheer for her team."I arrived in Kuwait on October 4th to see the tournament and support our Japanese national team. I was glad to see Japan and Kuwait qualified for the finals, "Mayumi told Kuwait Times.

"I left Kuwait on the night of October 9th. Kuwait has been a wonderful country, and I will never forget the warmth of the people who welcomed me as a guest. The Middle East has a scary image, but Kuwait is different. I call it the 'happy land'. I hope I can come again to Kuwait," she said. Mayumi expressed her gratitude to the generosity of the Kuwaiti people. "Kuwaitis treat Japanese people as 'guests', pick them up and offer them meals! It is the first time I have ever seen a country that is doing so well. The warmth of the Kuwaiti people is unlike any other country."

"We met with Mosaed Al-Wasmi, a Kuwaiti citizen, at a futsal match. He has studied in Japan and he speaks Japanese. Mosaed invited me and my friends to a local restaurant to have traditional Kuwaiti food. He even paid for our meals. However, when the owner of the restaurant found out that we are Japanese, he returned the money and served us dessert. The owner showed us around the restaurant and gave me a cookie. Two days later, the owner treated nine Japanese people to another restaurant," Mayumi recounted.

On a tour around Kuwait, Mosaed took the Japanese guests to Jaber Causeway and the Grand Mosque. "Also, Faleh Al-Nout, a Kuwaiti studying Japanese on her own, who I met on Twitter, showed me around The Avenues mall and treated me to a meal," Mayumi said. "The thing that attracted me the most was the people. Kuwaiti people I met in the country are very kind, gentle and considerate of others. I learned a lot about Kuwait. It was a wonderful country with a rich heart. Kuwaitis are really kind and the city was beautiful."

Mayumi is also interested in Islam and Muslims. An avid traveler, Kuwait caught her attention with its unique Islamic clothing. "I understand Islam and went to some mosques, but Kuwait has good taste in Islamic clothes. They are very beautiful." Regarding food, Mayumi said she eats at fixed times, and never experienced eating and drinking any time she wanted, as she did in Kuwait. "In Japan, people are more likely to eat small morsels slowly. I don't drink coffee slowly after meals. I eat when I'm hungry rather than enjoying my meal. We eat at a fixed time," she said.

Japan won the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022, which was held in Kuwait. Japan defeated Iran 3-2 in the final match. This is the fourth title for Japan, as they won in 2006, 2012, and 2016.