＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
I previously wrote about the numerous mistranslations found in the English names of stations and lines on Osaka Metro’s foreign-language website. It seems the English spelling of the “New National Stadium,” the venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, also contains some expressions that native speakers might find strange or incomprehensible.
1. Inappropriate English spelling of “New National Stadium”
This was pointed out by foreign correspondents and journalists when the stadium was opened to the press on December 15, 2019.
(1) HELLO, OUR STADIUM. National Stadium
This is the information display that first catches your eye upon entering the stadium.
If you wanted to say “Welcome to the New National Stadium,” “Welcome to our new national stadium” would be appropriate. It’s a bit long-winded, though…
However, “HELLO, OUR STADIUM” is apparently the name of the New National Stadium’s opening event. Apparently, the intention is not to “welcome people who have come to the stadium,” but to “have people greet the stadium from the perspective of the spectators.”
However, this expression seems to be perceived as “unnatural English” by native speakers. If you want to say “Hello! Our stadium,” it seems that “Hello new stadium!” or “Say Hello to Our New Stadium” would be more natural.
(2) Information Garden “joho no Niwa”
This “romanized” name means nothing to those who don’t understand Japanese. Even those who do understand Japanese have no idea what “Information Garden” even is. Of course, this doesn’t include words like “KARAOKE,” “SUSHI,” “SUKIYAKI,” “NINJYA,” “SAKE,” and “BONSAI,” which are Japanese words that have become commonly understood by foreigners…
According to the stadium’s planning documents, this area is an “event space.” While they likely intended it to be a unique and innovative name, I think it’s unfriendly to both Japanese and foreigners.
According to a native speaker who is fluent in Japanese, the Japanese name should be “Event Space Information Garden” (Event Space “joho no Niwa”), and the English name should be “Event space “joho no Niwa” (Event space “joho no Niwa”).
However, the Japan Sport Council, an independent administrative institution that operates the New National Stadium, has no plans at present to change the English name.
2. The Need for Review and Checking of English Language in Public Institutions and Places
When it comes to English guides for private companies or English signs in stores, even if there are spelling errors, unnatural expressions, or mistranslations, you can simply laugh it off if you’re told to “laugh it off and forgive.” However, this is not the case with English language in public institutions and places.
Currently, there are automatic translation software programs like “Google Translate” and “Microsoft,” but I believe their translation accuracy is still in development. While the “English version” of the Japan Sport Council website was created by someone fluent in English using automatic translation software, it is difficult for the average Japanese person to determine whether the English is unnatural. I believe that subtle Japanese expressions need to be checked by a “native speaker with a good understanding of Japanese” who can grasp the intended meaning.
Over-reliance on “automatic translation” without having a native speaker check the translation will result in strange or incomprehensible expressions like those mentioned above.
Although the number of Chinese and Korean tourists has dropped sharply due to the “COVID-19 pneumonia outbreak,” I believe this is important given the government’s basic policy of using the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as an opportunity to dramatically increase the number of foreign tourists. I would like to ask all parties involved to reconsider.
The Olympics have also been postponed for around a year due to the “COVID-19 pneumonia spread,” so I would like you to take the time to carefully review and make improvements.