Nissin Cup Noodle ads seldom have anything to do with cup noodles. Much like Canadian beer commercials, they often draw on juxtaposition between historical nostalgia and edgy modernism to try to define the modern spirit of the nation—and often do a pretty good job of it to boot!

In the run-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, soccer was the only thing on the national brain, so it was only natural to leap into the fray with a samurai wandering the streets of Brazil randomly challenging people to freestyle soccer competitions. Of course, nobody told this silent samurai's opponents that he was actually Freestyle Football champion Kotaro Tokuda (a.k.a. Tokura)!

The ensuing footy battles are both epic and heartwarming, silently bridging the ocean between nations through the shared love of a global sport.