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The Emperor's birthday!
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:34 -0700
by Stan Sakai
Today, December 23, is the 70th birthday of Emperor Akihito. He has been the emperor for 15 years.
Otanjoobi omedeto!
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:23 -0700
by Qion
*gong, bow*
.['][']['][']['][']['][']['][']['][']['][']['].
|_The Dojo Board Wishes You_|
|A 100 years of enlighted reign|
|______.Your_Majesty.______|
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 6:15 -0700
by takematsu
万才 天皇
Banzai Tennou!
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 12:16 -0700
by Qion
Didn't understand a
hell out of that...
What did you just wish to the Emperor? (If I may as, of course)
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 12:42 -0700
by ziritrion
Lemme try! Lemme try!
Ok, here we go...
万 -
man or
ban -> ten thousand
才 -
sai or
zai -> years old
万才 -> Banzai -> "long life", more or less. It's a kind of cheering. I think that the samurai used to scream "banzai" when entering in a battle as a way to cheer their comrades.
天 ->
ten -> heaven
皇 ->
oo -> king or emperor
天皇 -> Tennou -> Heavenly ruler, I guess. Anyway, that's how you call the Emperor in Japan. I think that nowadays he's just called
oo-sama (emperor).
Banzai Tennou -> Long life to the Emperor. Is that right? Like an old Spanish saying says: "knowing something is not important, the important thing is to know the phone number of the guy who knows what you're looking for". In this case, the phone numbre becomes
the website 
.
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 12:53 -0700
by Qion
Hehe, thanks man.
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 16:09 -0700
by ziritrion
No problem
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 1:45 -0700
by Szyszka
Funny thing - I wrote "happy Emperor's birthsday" e-mail to my friend in Japan and she was surprised, that we in Europe care about it. Because for her and for her friends that's not a very special day, but it is for her grandparents...
Sure, Japan has changed.
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 7:42 -0700
by takematsu
"knowing something is not important, the important thing is to know the phone number of the guy who knows what you're looking for". In this case, the phone numbre becomes the website .
I like
this one. I was quoting a somewhat longer Happy Emperor sentiment, but whoever transliterated it did a poor job, which only two coherent words. 'Tennou' was apparently included in the shouting at the royal balcony this year, so it's still got some currency.