"Passion" is the story of Japan soccer team coach Philippe Troussier, his struggle to make it as a player and manager and his travels around France, Africa and Japan. In the book, Troussier also details his philosophy and thinking as he prepares for the World Cup in June.
When I hear the Japanese national anthem, tears well up in my eyes. It is a time of national unity. It is a moment when the history of a people crystalizes itself in a single moment. I feel like I am offering up a moment of silent prayer when I hear the Japanese anthem. As the tune plays, I think of, and pray for, all of the ancestors of this country. I become a member of the Japanese family.
When I hear the national anthems of France, South Africa, Morocco and Burkina Faso, I am overcome with the same emotion. Japan's "Kimigayo" is a beautiful tune. I'm probably more touched by such emotion because I grew up in an era when we were much closer to war-time symbolism.