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a little japanese lesson
Posted by: kurt ()
Date: August 16, 2001 03:34PM

<HTML>BANZAI !!!! is a cry of enthusiasm.

It can be used in a military charge, or to cheer a team or a person on in a sporting match, or as a cheer or toast, like \'three cheers for..\' or \'hip hip hurray!\'. It has no direct military connection, like the word \'charge!\' does in English, though it is often associated with military charges. It literally means \'ten thousand generations\', ie: may you be blessed to have your desendants live ten thousand generations.

When used in cheering the Emperor, (Tennoheika BANZAI!!) it means \'three cheers for the emperor!

\'Bonsai\' is a small, carefully crafted and shaped plant or bush, the cultivation of which is a highly developed art form in Japan.

So, Tony, you got pretty close.

(Especially if you consider the \'Kaiten\' kamikaze torpedoes used near the war\'s end, which had a human operator to provide guidance. I bet they really did say \'BANZAI\' as they crashed into an enemy hull!)

Though I suppose this joke is a little PC incorrect. </HTML>

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Subject Written By Posted
i heard this joke tony 08/16/2001 08:15AM
RE: i heard this joke ? 08/16/2001 01:03PM
RE: i heard this joke Paul 08/16/2001 02:58PM
a little japanese lesson kurt 08/16/2001 03:34PM
RE: a little japanese lesson walter M 08/16/2001 04:46PM
RE: a little japanese lesson Oliver 08/17/2001 06:26PM
RE: a little japanese lesson Saskia 08/17/2001 07:54PM
RE: a little japanese lesson oliver 08/17/2001 09:50PM
RE: a little japanese lesson J.T. McDaniel 08/17/2001 11:16PM
RE: a little japanese lesson Dave McQueen 08/18/2001 07:32PM
more Japanese kurt 08/26/2001 10:55PM


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