Nina's Nihongo Zone Episode 7 - "Banzai" 万歳 (Patreon)

Hello patrons, and welcome to episode 7 of Nina's Nihongo Zone. This month I talk about the word "banzai" (万歳 in kanji). In ZZ episode 16, "Melee Aboard the Argama," a group of survivors from the now-destroyed Endra tell Gottn that they’ve formed Endra Corps, and before the group sets off on their mission to capture the Argama, they all cheer “Banzai!” together. What exactly does banzai mean? When is it used? And what are its connotations?

- Jisho.org page for “banzai” / ばんざい / 万歳.

- Wikipedia page for the saying/blessing of “ten thousand years.” 

- The article, “Important Japanese Gestures and How to Do Them Properly” by Abe Namiko, which includes “banzai.”

- “Banzai Cheer Explained” by Chris Kincaid.

- An article abstract that explains the beginnings of the modern use of “banzai” and its roots in Japanese nationalism. Norio Makihara (2011) The birth of banzai, Japan Forum, 23:2, 237-261, DOI: 10.1080/09555803.2011.599272

- The intro song is "The city" by The Kyoto Connection, from the album Kyoto Soundscapes, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

- The outro song is "Brain Power" by Mela, from the album Mela two, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

If you have language questions or a topic you'd like to recommend for a future episode of Nina's Nihongo Zone, you can email me at gundampodcast@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!