"Japanese really appreciate the awesome gesture of bowing by the New Zealand All Blacks," one fan wrote.
"Take a bow, All Blacks. Bowing to the crowd after the game was a classy move to win the #charmoffensive and ensure Japan cheers for us. Gone are the days of rude/crude/arrogant/inarticulate ABs - all hail the Culturally Sensitive Ambassadors of Rugby," wrote another.
Following the match, All Blacks captain Kieran Read explained the gesture.
"It's really important for us to connect as much as we can with the Japanese people. We know that they love us as All Blacks, but we need to show a bit of love back to them," Read said.
"Their support's been fantastic so far and we saw that tonight – there's plenty of fans with the black jerseys which is fantastic. We want to enjoy this tournament, get out and see as many people as we can, and hopefully win some more fans."
It's not the only gesture the All Blacks have made to show their respect for Japanese culture. Last week, halfback Aaron Smith revealed players with tattoos covered up when using traditional onsen, or spas.
"We've got an onsen, or a spa, at every hotel," Smith said. "In Kashiwa that spa was a public one so we had to wear skivvies or tights. And that's okay, we're in Japan, we have to embrace their way, their culture.
"We've just got to respect that and adapt as All Blacks. We're grateful to be here and we don't like to act like we're anything bigger than we are."
