はーい。何かめっちゃ忙しいです。もう、日本語で書くくらいサッサと英語がかけたらいいのになぁ。 (Hi! I am busy this week. I wish I could write English as fast as I write Japanese.) I will post some small things I found on the net today.
The National High School Championship is very popular in Japan. We learned of Matsui, Ichiro, such big names first when they played in Koshien. (Most people couldn't suppose Ichiro would be such a super player.) Some high schools cheer their team using colored paper and form a human letter. You can make your own cheer here, over 1000 high school boys and girls in uniform will cheer you.
Ah, the viewer rating for the World Baseball Classic was over 50%, I heard. Here is the article "Japan won" from CBS Sports news. (it's cached). Here is the screen shot I saved. Hmm, is that Joke? Bonsai is this. Did they mean Banzai? (Noun: A Japanese exclamation of joy used on happy occasions.)
This is not a Japanese site, but I enjoyed it very much. I remember I read the book "media sex" (maybe this one?) in my college days. I find Gatorade topics often lately.
The "bonsai" vs. "banzai" joke has been used in English jokes before. The best example I can remember was in Twin Peaks, where Gordon Cole (played by David Lynch himself) said: "Bonsai. Remember those old World War II movies? BANZAI!!!"
That being said, that web site looked like a legitimate error.
Posted by: Trejkaz | Wednesday, April 26, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Don't forget 万才
Posted by: Claytonain | Friday, April 21, 2006 at 12:55 AM
It's not bOnzai ... it's 万歳, or Banzai. The characters mean 100 years.
Great gatorade link today.
Posted by: James | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 04:27 PM
Most English-speakers think bonsai is pronounced bonzai(and of course most of them haven't studied Japanese). In this case, I think the reporter is a rare person that knows the difference between bonsai and bonzai, but he used the wrong word!
Posted by: claytonian | Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 01:51 PM