Summer Olympics/Paralympics, Tokyo, delayed to 2021

[Brazilian Villain]

It's been turned back on-Best shoes award goes to North Macedonia.

Australians seem to be the only nation wearing shorts. Makes sense really as it's humid as fuck here.

Think Ukraine and Croatia wore shorts as well. Worst outfit goes to Kenya.

I'm only watching now for the trivia.

[Axl Rose]

It's been turned back on-Best shoes award goes to North Macedonia.

Australians seem to be the only nation wearing shorts. Makes sense really as it's humid as fuck here.

Think Ukraine and Croatia wore shorts as well. Worst outfit goes to Kenya.

I'm only watching now for the trivia.

It just makes me realise I need to study more Japanese. I can only understand about 30 % of what's being said.

[Brazilian Villain]

It just makes me realise I need to study more Japanese. I can only understand about 30 % of what's being said.

Can our Tokyo correspondent shed some more light on the order of the athletes parade? Apparently it's in alphabetical order in Japanese as opposed to the usual English.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Really enjoyed that opening ceremony! It demonstrated perfectly the Olympic Spirit in a respectful way. Loved the pictograms brought to life and it was fitting that Naomi Osaka was the last torchbearer. Good luck to all the athletes. As a family we're looking forward to a great spectacle.

[Axl Rose]

It just makes me realise I need to study more Japanese. I can only understand about 30 % of what's being said.

Can our Tokyo correspondent shed some more light on the order of the athletes parade? Apparently it's in alphabetical order in Japanese as opposed to the usual English.

I think its to do with how the country names are pronounced using Katakana.

Ireland were first out weren't they? In Katakana, Ireland is pronounced like so:





I may well be completely wrong of course!

[Behind Bluenose Lines]

Catching the highlights on BBC 1 of the Opening Ceremony: a sad and poignant sight IMO.

Good luck Great Britain!

[cdbearsfan]

Greece are always first out. The Refugee Team was next. The countries starting with vowels seem to be first. UK is something like "Ingrishu" which, I assume, means "English". Stupid Japanese. 🙁

[Brazilian Villain]

Can our Tokyo correspondent shed some more light on the order of the athletes parade? Apparently it's in alphabetical order in Japanese as opposed to the usual English.

I think its to do with how the country names are pronounced using Katakana.

Ireland were first out weren't they? In Katakana, Ireland is pronounced like so:

I may well be completely wrong of course!

I think you're right. When Ireland were out first (after Greece and the Refugees as tradition dictates) and France last I assumed it was in decreasing order of charm and friendliness.

[Axl Rose]

Greece are always first out. The Refugee Team was next. The countries starting with vowels seem to be first. UK is something like "Ingrishu" which, I assume, means "English". Stupid Japanese. 🙁

Haha. I think the UK is referred to as えいこく (eikoku) in the Olympics, rather than イギリス (England).

God only knows why.

[cdbearsfan]

Fair enough, I got my information below, I definitely said "Ingrisu", or something similar, but has now changed. That's the peril of relying on Wikipedia for my "facts", I suppose 😄

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics_Parade_of_Nations

[Axl Rose]

Fair enough, I got my information below, I definitely said "Ingrisu", or something similar, but has now changed. That's the peril of relying on Wikipedia for my "facts", I suppose 😄

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics_Parade_of_Nations

To be fair, yesterday was the first time in 8 years living here that I'd heard of eikoku! I've always been igirisu jin (British person) when people have asked where I'm from. The fact that it also means English person doesn't make sense really Not to simpletons like myself anyhow.

If my Japanese language level was higher than that of a newborn, I could explain that my dad is half Scottish, half English, and my mum half Welsh, half Irish! I'm looking forward to my daughter explaining her heritage in a few years

[Axl Rose]

Walking into the office this morning, a Japanese colleague asked me 'Nik-san, what is the foreign opinion of the Tongan man without a shirt?'

I replied that I wasn't quite sure, as the topic had never come up. Seemed to be the correct clothing for this weather..'

He grunted and described him as something negative that I didn't really get, but with the help of giggling colleagues, translates as something akin to 'wanker'.

The Olympic spirit alive and well on this campus!

Update-some colleagues moaning about Naomi Osaka lighting the torch now. Japan is fucking depressing at times. I've asked said colleagues to move into the 21st Century.

[Axl Rose]

This is an example of the sort of nonsense (without some of the horrific racist language) that gets posted on every article in Japan about Naomi Osaka. Yahoo.jp is the worst, and no wonder she doesn't want to live here. On the Olympic torch lighting:

'But, what did she do to deserve it? What has she ever done for Japan? If they wanted somebody who is bi-racial, why not Hachimura or Darvish? At least they grew up in Japan and can, you know, speak Japanese. Their Olympic accomplishments are the same as hers - nothing. At tennis player? Why not Sugiyama Ai? She has won grand slams and an Olympic medal in tennis. Matthew (Mashu) Baker? He has a gold medal in Judo. It should have been an accomplished Olympian, maybe in judo since it is from Japan. Or an athlete from Tohoku. Or the children from Tohoku. Not a corporate shill'.

[Scott Nielsen]

The road race is one of the Olympic highlights to me. Peloton has largely pulled back against the leaders and soon the Mikuni pass is coming up. Be interesting to see how it shapes up.

[cdbearsfan]

Seems like Britain is doing rubbish so far. Hardly won any of the rowing heats and a shooter who was a medal prospect didn't make the final.

Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury upsetting the second seeded French in the men's doubles seems the highlight so far.