WIT Life #35: Hero Worship
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
A recent survey of Japanese young men regarding which famous figure they would want to become resulted in Ichiro Suzuki,
Ryoma Sakamoto and Ryo Ishikawa for the top 3. The person in the #1 slot is the most recognizable, especially now that he just broke the Japanese record for most career hits with his 3086th in yesterday’s game against the Angels (though the Mariners ultimately went on to lose). In the stands to witness this feat was Ichiro’s bat maker (perhaps craftsman is a more appropriate term) of the past 15 years. He was thrilled to be part of the historical moment, and expressed his desire that the next record he wants Ichiro to break is for 4000 hits. A matsuri mood pervaded Japan in celebrating Ichiro’s feat, and in honor of his accomplishment one store created a shrine to him complete with a samurai doll bearing his face!
Speaking of samurai, #2 Ryoma Sakamoto was one of the main characters in a play called Samurai Takamine Jokichi put on last week here in the city. This performance featured the life story of the title character, a Japanese chemist who made notable medical and cultural contributions during his time here in the States. He was instrumental in bringing the cherry blossoms to DC, as well as founding the Nippon Club and Japan Society. It is thought that Ryoma served as a mentor to the younger Jokichi when they were in Nagasaki together when Jokichi studied there as a teenager. Ryoma was a leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa Bakufu and a greatly admired revolutionary who was assasinated at age 33. According to the actor who played Ryoma, he was surprised by the legions of Ryoma fans everywhere in Japan they performed.
#3 on the list was the 17-year old golfing sensation Ryo Ishikawa who made his debut at the Masters tournament last week and who I profiled at the end of my last post . He unfortunately was unable to make the cut this time, but remained upbeat despite this disappointment saying, “It might be only natural, but passing the first round with my current ability is difficult. I came to realize my weaknesses, and I realized I have to try harder.” This young athlete’s humble attitude and willingness to ganbaru are likely to lead to more successful Masters appearances in the future. 
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