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© Copyright 2008/9 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Japan to be known as 'Samurai Japan' at WBC
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nath
Daft.
Chessnutroastin
Oh brother. How about Nippon Ninja?
imacat
Will we also be getting Cowboy America, Digger Australia, Charro Mexico, etc?
nath
It's not that bad, but doesn't have the catchy goodness of "Samurai Blue"
Altria
Ninjapan would be better.
Along with Convict Australia and The Venezuela Socialist Club.
thepro
Yeah, Cowboy America and Convict Australia might be good, too. Great stuff, Japan.
chardk1
Are the women's national teams going to call themselves Chattel of the Male Head of Household Japan to draw on their own contemporary status with the Samurai? As long as we are going with tradition.
jerseyboy
How predictable. Doesn't Japan ever get tired of falling back on a "spirit" that died generations ago? Except of TV and in the movies, of course.
timorborder
Does this mean that when Japan chokes (like the Olympics) all of the players (and coaching staff) will be invited to fall on their swords?
Samuraiiki
Copy Cats.
romulus3
does this mean when they lose the will do the much regarded Samurai way of atonement?
romulus3
THEY....sigh
Gravitybrakes
The American team will easily be beaten. I noticed our team does not care to play hard on the international level. They make no money out of it. If its not MLB they are just gonna send out the bench warmers. Sad, I would love to see them play hard against international teams. :(
nandakandamanda
And everyone will be pronouncing it "Sam-your-eye". Jeez, gimme a break...
Tatanka
If I was a MLB player I would only come here for the groupies.
powderfinger
Someone forgot about the national (racial?) love affair with bunting.
thepro
Japanese people really don't seem to mind being beta
norinrad21
I would have preferred unleash the Samurai
but anyway Korea is going to whip them again
hoserfella
powderfinger-constant bunting is a selfless act where one gives himself up for the betterment of the group and as such it's the perfect example of Japanese spirit in a microcosym(sp?).....either that or it's a dull, predictable tactic used by uninspired Japanese managers afraid of what the TV pundits may say. My guess is the latter
soothsayer
Wince. Cringe.
Wakarimasen
How about Hello Kitty Japan? Or SMAP Japan? That way they could have got a bunch of sponsorship and better reflected the realities of modern Japan.....
CaptDingleheimer
Androgynous Japan would certainly be more fitting.
CaptDingleheimer
... or perhaps 'Inferiority Complex Japan'?
techall
Guys, this is just a predessor to the unveiling of some idiotic mascot. You watch some big-wig's wife will come up with a cutesy samurai character and the team will have to suffer all the jeering.
stanoue
I don't see the problem with this name. Its better than the embarrassing names some other country's teams give themselves such as the "jillaroos" (ugh) and/or the "tall blacks".
pathat
Japan will flop as badly in the 2009 WBC as they did in the 2008 Olympics.
ptolemy
Ah, I think someone is really reaching with this name, not to mention unoriginal - the "Samurai Blue" from the 2006 Football World Cup. I guess they ran out of ideas after the first round of drinks in the bar where they held the meeting to find a nick-name.
romulus3
hahaha. Funny. I guess after someone said "victory salarybots" or "destroyer sakuras" or "win win shinkansens" or "dynamic semiconductors" they ran out of ideas.
romulus3
Haras idea would have been "the Japan Giants".
judochick
the use of the word "samurai" in the nicknames is getting really old. odango japan!!! now i would like that!!!
helloklitty
This is what groupthink produces.