Round and Square: Besuboro Guy

From Round to Square (and back)

For The Emperor's Teacher, scroll down (↓) to "Topics." It's the management book that will rock the world (and break the vase, as you will see). Click or paste the following link for a recent profile of the project: http://magazine.beloit.edu/?story_id=240813&issue_id=240610

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Showing posts with label Besuboro Guy. Show all posts

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Besuboru Guy—Sacred Soil

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This is a "small" (小) post—click here for an explanation of Round and Square post lengths.

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On this day in Round and Square History
5 September 2012—The Cortex Chronicles: Punting and Strategy (a)
5 September 2011—Displays of Authenticity: Canine Devotion

[a] Individual and Society RF

可飛ばせ, 中山!

Let 'er rip, Nakayama! OR
Fly to base, Nakayma!

—Common Japanese baseball chant
(Nakayama is a very common surname, like "Daniels")

And sometimes high school players let 'er rip (and fly to base) in the hallowed lines of
Kōshien Stadium, where the finals are played before a national television audience.

And one side has to lose. That is the cruel nature of sport (and nature).

[b] Win-loss RF

And sixty years ago, a despondent young man scooped up a handful of the sacred infield and took it away with him. At least, he said, he could remember the time he spent at baseball's still point of a moving world.

Over the next few decades, a few other losing players did the scoop-n-go-home drill.

And now almost everyone does.

Sacred Dirt of Kōshien Stadium

Only in a society in which valiant losing is treasured could such a tradition truly take root. It remind me of one of my favorite books about Japan, too. The title? The Nobility of Failure.

Sacred soil and losing the good battle. It is a splendid combination.

[If you don't read Japanese, but want to have some sense of the Japanese kana and kanji in these posts, just copy the phrases and paste them into translation software such as Babylon or Google Translate].

[c] Sacrality RF

[Originally posted on August 28, 2014]

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Besuboru Guy—Little League World Series

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On this day in Round and Square History
5 August 2012—Rural Religion in China (1)
5 August 2011—Longevity Mountain: Academy on High

[a] Individual and Society RF

可飛ばせ, 中山!

Let 'er rip, Nakayama! OR
Fly to base, Nakayma!

—Common Japanese baseball chant
(Nakayama is a very common surname, like "Daniels")

And some of the players who let 'er rip (and fly to base) are Little Leaguers.

[b] Gearing up RF

Yes, Japan is known for Little League baseball excellence, and has played in the Little League World Series two dozen times. In fact, since 2007, the winner in Japan receives an automatic berth in the series (and doesn't have to play Taiwan for a spot).

That's how good they are.

And what's more, Japan has won the Little League World Series nine times, including 2013.

From Little League to the World Baseball Classic, we're talkin' mastery.

[If you don't read Japanese, but want to have some sense of the Japanese kana and kanji in these posts, just copy the phrases and paste them into translation software such as Babylon or Google Translate].

[c] Where champions are made RF

[Originally posted on August 26, 2014]

Monday, August 25, 2014

Besuboru Guy—Best Nine Award

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On this day in Round and Square History
4 August 2012—Rural Religion in China (Introduction)
4 August 2011—Mid-Mountain Temple Road

[a] Individual and Society RF

可飛ばせ, 中山!

Let 'er rip, Nakayama! OR
Fly to base, Nakayma!

—Common Japanese baseball chant
(Nakayama is a very common surname, like "Daniels")

And the very best players at each position who let 'er rip (and fly to base) in each league (Pacific and Central) are given the Best Nine Award (ベストナイン (日本プロ野球).

[b] Power point RF

In Japan, even the awards have a little team harmony coursing through them.

Voted on by a panel of journalists, the most productive players are awarded, and this is a great positive. The homer-cracking right fielder will be rewarded in multiple ways for his talents, but what about the middle infielder who has power? Or the multiple talents of the wiley catcher—the most important position on the diamond?

In Japan, they each have their own MVP award.

It's just another way that teamwork comes together (in the idiom of individuality).

And check out the Japanese New Year's card from 1932—Year of the Monkey power.

[If you don't read Japanese, but want to have some sense of the Japanese kana and kanji in these posts, just copy the phrases and paste them into translation software such as Babylon or Google Translate].

[c] Year of the Monkey New Year's Card, 1932 RF

[Originally posted on August 25, 2014]