Japanese man in Alabama

( Hasselblad 503CX, Planar 80mm F2.8, RXP )




I have been away from Japan on and off for about 20 years. I am pretty confident that I can adjust myself more or less to most of the circumstances. I used to live in U.K. for three and a half years. Toward the end of my stay in Britain, I was able to eat British dishes cheerfully. As you all know British foods have notorious reputation. I think this is worth being proud of. My taste buds must have degenerated. This is my theory of retrogression.

I, as a human being, have things that I can’t enjoy in abroad. Olympic game is what it is. The opening or closing ceremonies are OK. But I just can’t fully enjoy watching games.

No doubt broadcasting is a business. More the people watch, the better off. Inevitably, Games that you can watch on TV will be skewed. It is very reasonable that they put spotlight on athletes from your country. It is, however, a little bit boring for foreigner like me to be able to watch only a few selected kinds of games on TV. As a Japanese, I would like to watch marathon that we regard the finale of Olympic. I would like to watch Judo, gymnastics, etc.

In the U.S., Most of broadcasting is swimming and track. The U.S. indeed has many distinguished athletes in these fields. During Olympic period, however, it makes me feel that Olympic has only swimming and track, nothing else.

Well, U.S. is better, as a matter of fact. In Britain, the degree of skewed broadcasting becomes even worse. To add insult to injury, it looks kind of peculiar at least to me. The ones you see very often on TV is equitation and rowing. Every now and then, you can also watch archery or fencing.

Where’s marathon? Where has judo gone? I feel like I want to raise my fist in the air and shout. But I have to be very careful. If somebody who doesn’t understand Japanese saw me shouting with my fist up in the air every night, he would misunderstood I am a member of Japanese sector of Al-Queda. I should just shut up.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I have to make myself enjoying watching swimming and track for the next a couple of weeks. Then again, it is much better than in Britain.

Everything is relative. Olympic is not an exception.

(Japanese translation )