Japan's obsession with the olympics?

[mr.sumo.snr]

Japan's love affair with the Olympics really started with the Tokyo Games in 1964. Japan adopted the US NTSC television format in 1960 and the games were broadcast nationwide in color. The Tokyo Olympics were also the first truly modern Olympics, with live television broadcast to the US and Europe. The women's volleyball final between Japan and the Soviet Union had something like a 94% viewer share in Japan.

Speak to any Japanese person 45 or older and the 1964 Olympics are a very fond and vivid memory.

Factor in the 'welcoming back into the international fold' that the awarding of the games signified then I have absolutely not problem relating to why Japan goes 'oorinpiku-baka' every four years.

Japan traditionally does well in judo - and judo is one of the first sports to award medals at any games - attention is immediately focused on Japanese performances. That's exactly what I've been doing this evening anyway - congratulations to Tani and Nomura! (Though I did have to pull a major 'gaman' when watching the performances of the Japanese women's volleyball and basketball teams - they both sucked pretty big time).

 

[byp]

hi just watched the olymic entrances for each nation, while i was watching my moms like "OMG THERE JAPAN GO GO JAPAN JAPANS TEH WIN!!!!!11@@#21!!!@$^". Then i remembered all those kirin olymic comercials and all those corny comercials with Ai chan in it (the table tennis player) when i was in japan......hmmm why are the japanese obsessed with the olymics. here in the states the olymics mean squat esp. since football season is around the corner i think it has something to do with national pride?

yes, exactly : national pride. but DO NOT WORY, for once we can say that EVERYBODY is copying japan (see another topic in excellent JRFORUM). You should hear the brits, the italians, the french (I think they are the most (worst) chauvinist supporters i know and don't anyone one call me a racist, because I am the holder of a french passport, too, as well, on top of it, and so on).

Table Tennis is an Olympic Sport ?!?!
I have no clue, but I've noticed that in a lot of my friends (especially from asian countries) They're always obsessed with how many medals thier country has received. I personally couldn't care less, as long as the athletes are having fun.

and...
I happend to live in europe and i can tell you everyone is making bets as to how many medals their own country is going or is able to win... some are modest, like switzerland they count on 9 (and maybe 1 of gold) but the french want over 30 and as many in gold as possible. The swedes are also modest, but the italians want too many...
But what about US ? if they dont bring one more than last time, or if they don't beat china or russia it will be a national shame...
so what's new with Japan ???
absolutely nothing.
it's an event that take place every 4 years, and it has an enormous impact on tourism, not only in the country that organize the thing, but for the ones that will be talked about most.
so everyone wants to be on one of the three steps, the highest if popssible to get as much tv coverage as possible.
look at the opening ceremony : the most applauded were the irakis athletes (and they did not win anything yet) and the north and south koreans because they walked hand in hand...
they said : over 3'000'000'000 (that is three milliards, twice the population of china) was watching that ceremony at the same time.
talk to me about promotion !!!!!

 

[sima_yi]

Japan won 2 golds today. GOOD JOB

 

[Saing]

Try just obsess, or better yet ask a native speaker before presuming to appreciate conversational English based on dictionary definitions and getting all riled up over it

Although from what I've seen of the online newspaper coverage in Asahi, there is definately more there than in US papers. Maybe disproportionally patriotic is a better description.

I did ask a native speaker (via email). I asked him what his opinion was and he said (this is a quote because I don't want to make the mistake, presuming to appreciate).

"Looks like the typical lazy western view of Japan, that the Japanese get over-excited about everything when in fact this happens in every country. Although this thing isn't overt discrimination, it's actually quite sad. People think they can look at the Japanese with this kind of patronizing amusement, as if they are these strange little folks whose only interesting trait is their entertainment value. It's like reducing an entire culture and nation to the level of something you gawp at in a zoo. It's indicative of an deeply ignorant 'If they don't behave like us, then they're weird' view that lets bigots feel they are somehow intellectually superior to anyone they don't understand.

The truth is, Japan isn't obsessed with the olympics as we both know, but whoever said this probably just thought it would make an interesting discussion so that him (or her) and his buddies could give themselves another self-congratulatory pat on the back to confirm how knowledgable they are about Japanese culture."

I think this is a very strong opinion, but I think it has some truth in it. I would not be so strong with my opinion, so please don't think I am saying this. I thought it would be interesting to add this comment to the discussion to get peoples thinking.

 

[jieshi]

Yeah, medal count suck. How comes Australia (with 18m inhabitants) got 115 medals in Sydney, which is 3x more than Japan (127m inh.) or 2x more than the UK (60m inh.) ?

I'll tell you why. Because Australia is the best! no, seriously Australia is meant to have one of the best sporting programs in the world and alot of elite athletes are moving to Australia to train and become part of the Australian team.

 

[King of Tokyo]

I'll tell you why. Because Australia is the best!

Pfft.. Australia is the Best Huh?.. You don't find that a pretty big boast ? I think it is pretty ignorant to say simply "They are the best!" .. Ok.. At what ? Everything ? They are the best at sports period ? They are the best at everything ? They are THE BEST !!!.. Uhh.. Yeh.. That is quite the Bold Statement..

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Pfft.. Australia is the Best Huh?.. You don't find that a pretty big boast ? I think it is pretty ignorant to say simply "They are the best!" .. Ok.. At what ? Everything ? They are the best at sports period ? They are the best at everything ? They are THE BEST !!!.. Uhh.. Yeh.. That is quite the Bold Statement..

no, seriously Australia is meant to have one of the best sporting programs in the world and alot of elite athletes are moving to Australia to train and become part of the Australian team.

We are easily the best in the water, which makes up a big section of the games, and we fare very well in team sports, track events and a few misc.

 

[Ewok85]

Pfft.. Australia is the Best Huh?.. You don't find that a pretty big boast ? I think it is pretty ignorant to say simply "They are the best!" .. Ok.. At what ? Everything ? They are the best at sports period ? They are the best at everything ? They are THE BEST !!!.. Uhh.. Yeh.. That is quite the Bold Statement..

We do quite well thankyou very much. We just need to get better at soccer and the world is ours! mwhahahaha.

 

[PopCulturePooka]

We do quite well thankyou very much. We just need to get better at soccer and the world is ours! mwhahahaha.

I heard somewhere that soccer is starting to eclipse cricket as a popular sport back home in Oz.

Any truth there?

 

[Saria]

umn go who ever!

 

[Ewok85]

Well I think Cricket is about as interesting as paint drying, it may well be that the popularity of the cricket is dying and nothing more.

btw AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!! (2nd on the medal tally )

 

[chikazukiyasui]

Well I think Cricket is about as interesting and paint drying, it may well be that the popularity of the cricket is dying and nothing more.

btw AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!! (2nd on the medal tally )

I paint in various media. I'm very interested in watching paint dry, and seeing how different conditions and additives and media have different effects on different pigments and surfaces. ☝

I don't watch cricket, though.

 

[jieshi]

Well I think Cricket is about as interesting as paint drying, it may well be that the popularity of the cricket is dying and nothing more.

btw AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!! (2nd on the medal tally )

I couldn't agree with ewok more. Cricket is soooo boring!!! Backyard cricket is fun you just hit a ball with you friends and whoever gets you out gets to bat.

Oh and in regards to my comment about Australia, I was half joking. We are good at alot of sports and do very well, but we are not the best. lol

 

[byp]

I couldn't agree with ewok more. Cricket is soooo boring!!! Backyard cricket is fun you just hit a ball with you friends and whoever gets you out gets to bat.

Oh and in regards to my comment about Australia, I was half joking. We are good at alot of sports and do very well, but we are not the best. lol

I'll go for rugby, but only AUSTRLIA'S RULES. Nothing but the best action in the world. US football is just an "old lady's run around the place" COMPARE TO AUSSIE'S RULE. AND IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT, the hurry before you die !!!!

by the way, australia is a great nation,,,, for certain things...

 

[Ewok85]

Japan is doing well by the look of things, and so is China.

also... Go Ian!!

 

[Brooker]

I dunno, seems like we make a pretty big deal about the Olympics here in America.

 

[jieshi]

I cant stand the big deal they make from it in Australia. I love the olympics but they don't put any really interesting sports on the free to air television. You get the volley ball (thats interesting), the swimming, the shooting and the soccer and baseball highlights. I want the good sports like fencing, judo, taekwondo and the whole baseball game damnit!

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Ditto. Swimming gets WAY too much airtime.

And even then only some swimmers do.

 

[Ewok85]

I watched the equestrian and the fencing yesterday. They do show interesting stuff, once you get over the usual things (swimming etc).

Loved the gymnastics, those guys look great!

 

[Brooker]

Man, the Japanese gymnasts are really good. No wonder they win in that event so often.

 

[DoctorP]

Actually their last win was in the 70's (I think) but they sure kicked butt this time! Romania really dropped the ball...they had the competition won, but lost it on the high bar!

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Man, the Japanese gymnasts are really good. No wonder they win in that event so often.

Yeah students told me today that Japan hadn't won in the Gym for 28 years

 

[Pav_Bxl]

BYP is right, every nations are "obsessed" with Olympics and the number of medals they will win. Something that is "funny" to observe is that most of the time when one country wins a medal, they don't talk about the other people who also won. I take for example France who yesterday won a bronze medal for diving (was a girl who had it). They spent 15 minutes talking about this, interviewing the girl and her family, but they didn't even spend 5 minutes on the gold medal ! And it's same for other countries when you watch news on TV ...
I don't think Japan is "worse" than others. And one could say that sometimes sport is the only way for a country to be proud.

 

[Maciamo]

I sure thing is that Japanese seem to care only about Japanese athletes. Compare the way Yahoo Olympics is presented in each country. The most narrow-minded is Japan's, with full review or schedule available about only for sports where there are Japanese participants. Look at the pictures : almost only Japanese players. The same happens on Japanese TV, they won't show games where Japan doesn't play.

In comparison, Yahoo US, Yahoo UK or Yahoo France show players from all countries in the picture gallery, although a little bit more of the country in question.

 

[mr.sumo.snr]

Actually their last win was in the 70's (I think) but they sure kicked butt this time! Romania really dropped the ball...they had the competition won, but lost it on the high bar!

Yeah - they last won the team gold at Montreal in 1976 - but that did cap a run of 5 golds starting from Rome in 1960. They won silver in Melbourne in 1956 and bronze at Los Angeles '84, Seoul '88 and Barcelona '92.

They also managed 22 apparatus and individual all-round men's gold medals from 1956 through 1984 - but none since then. Though that might change in Athens.