Grado de dificultad: 3 (Por el idioma).
Columnista: Roberto
One of TMN’s closest contacts is a brilliant australian linguist, who knows japanese culture well. I hope he won’t scold me for my inaccuracies.
Hi, Chris!
Kamikaze means “The wind of gods”
In Japanese, “Kamikaze” roughly means “the wind of gods”. It refers to an old event in Japan’s history.
It was in 1274, when the Mongol/Chinese fleet tried to invade Japan.
They never succeeded.
A typhoon (asian version of hurricanes, and exactly as deadly) scattered their fleet. They repeated their intent in 1281 and faced the same fate. Japanese think the gods saved them.
The legend of “Kamikaze” stayed.
Somehow, COVID-19, can be considered as a Kamikaze by Japanese.
While I find many qualities and strengths in Japanese culture, there is also a huge flaw in it: Japanese are xenophobic. We may even say that they are culturally racists.
Naomi Osaka is a brilliant japanese tennis player, to whom TMN dedicated a recent post:
Naomi Osaka no quiere ser presentadora
She is also a “mixed blood” and suffered from it. Yes, we know: #Ugly.
She, of course, will be at the Olympics!…
Weird-to-witness Games
Olympics, but without attendees
The present article is about the Tokyo Olympic Games. Recently, we disserted about the issues this event is facing:
¿Son necesarios los Juegos Olímpicos 2021?
But whether we agree or not is not the point anymore. The Games were confirmed and are coming in less than a month.
And they are gonna be weird!
In March, the Olympic Committee published the following statement:
Statement on Overseas Spectators for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020
There is no doubts: “no foreigners” means that only Japanese will be attending the events. Then, as I understood it, there will be very few “in-person” attendees in the arenas.
The limit seems to have been increased from 5000 to 10000, which won’t fill a stadium. As recently indicated, the cheers won’t be permitted, only claps.
Video available on 9 News Australia YouTube channel
The ghost of Kamikaze
There is no doubt that Japanese will comply, which will be both interesting and weird to witness … On our Smart TV’s and at home because big screens have also been cancelled in Tokyo:
Plans for six Tokyo sites to livestream Olympics scrapped
So, even for Japanese, this will be a virtual event. The question is: will this bother them? Well, they were already not enthusiastic.
They are even less after the ultimatum from the Olympic Committee.
Still, Japan is vaccinating his population at a record speed:
and the contamination wave seems to have passed:
In one month from now, they may even be safe, but it will be too late for foreigners.
The ghost of Kamikaze is already haunting these Games, and Japanese won’t forget what they were required to do.
Anxiety, empty spaces, and extroversion
There is a last interesting question: What will it be like to compete in an empty space?
We didn’t talk about Naomi Osaka casually. Her now famous anxiety issues indicate that she will be fine.
So will many anxious athletes. Competing in front a crowd (and with such a responsibility) can be unbearable. Good for them!
On the other end, some other more extrovert athletes may be at disadvantage. Await some surprises.
Luckily for all of them, Japanese love champions. The Kamikaze spirit don’t apply to them.
It is not only them: who doesn’t love Olympic Games? The virtuality of these ones may even boost online watching.
I will be in front of my screen. What about you all?
Leave A Comment