TOKYO [1:20 a.m.]
It's been several days now since the birth of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko's son.
The newborn was born on Sept. 6 at Aiiku Hospital.
Seven days later, the Prince, the second son of Emperor Akihito, named his son, keeping with tradition.
His name is Hisahito.
Here is a snippet of Kyodo News' account of the naming ceremony, which appeared in the Sept. 13 edition of The Japan Times:
"...A court official put the new prince's name and his symbol, the umbrella pine, on 'washi' paper in a paulownia box and it was placed next to the baby's pillow. The symbol will be used to mark the baby's belongings.
"The name Hisahito is made up of the Chinese character for 'hisa,' meaning 'far and away' and 'at ease,' and 'hito,' or 'virtuous person.' 'Hito' has been the customary way to end boys' names in the Imperial family since the Heian Period (794-1185).
"The name was chosen in the hope that the little prince will live a long and comfortable life. The umbrella pine, an indigenous evergreen, was made his symbol so he will grow straight and tall, the agency said. Umbrella pines grow on the grounds of the Imperial Palace and on the grounds of the Akasaka Estate, where Prince Akishino's family lives.
"The mother and father discussed the name and symbol for their son and decided together on the symbol, while the father chose the name from a list compiled by the household agency. The couple consulted with the Emperor and Empress Michiko on the name and symbol."
How'd this process take place? (I wondered the same thing.)
The Imperial Household Agency, the article states, began looking at names in July and didn't consider the names of past emperors or living members of the Imperial family.
Then the agency put together a list of three final names, but only after "looking at the opinions of experts in Japanese and Chinese literature."
Hisahito has two older sisters, Princess Mako, 14, and Princess Kako, 11.
Females cannot ascend the Chrysantehumum Throne, according to Japanese law.
After the Emperor, the newborn is third in line to be the next ruler -- Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Akishino are 1-2.
***
In Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League, the top three teams at the end of the regular season advance to postseason play.
The second- and third-place clubs meet up in a best-of-three series. The winner advances to face the first-place squad for all the marbles -- that is the pennant, y'all.
But here's the quirky part:
The first-place team receives an automatic one-game lead in the so-called best of five series. So, really, it's best of four.
Which means the Pa League regular-season winner is required to only win two games to punch its ticket to the Japan Series.
Confused?
You're not the only one.
After all, they call it a best-of-five series.
The invisible game is the best kind of day off if you're a player, eh?
(Think of it as the opposite of the negative points issued to Italian League soccer teams this season for their role in the bribery scandal of recent years.)
Currently, the Central League has no playoff system. Instead, the regular-season champ automatically faces the Pa League pennant winner in the Japan Series.
That is, unless...
The CL has one team with a higher winning percentage and another with fewer wins separated by mere hundredths of a percentage point. (In Japanese ball, ties are given for a game knotted after 12 innings.)
First place currently belongs to the Chunichi Dragons. The Hanshin Tigers occupy the second spot in the standings.
This year, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Seibu Lions and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have clinched playoff spots in the Pa League, but the three are still jockeying for final positioning before their last games of the regular season on Sept. 27.
As of yesterday, only 2 games separated the three teams. ... No doubt this troika of teams' fans will see some compelling action in the days to come.
This is the final year that the two leagues will have different ways of determining how its pennant winner gets into the Japan Series.
Next year, the CL will follow the Pa League's playoff model, which was established in 2004, too.
***
My new friend Hamasaki-san studied English at a Japanese university. That's where he developed the "book-smart skills" of the language.
In America, he acquired the building blocks of conversational English.
How so?
He watched countless hours of "Columbo" re-runs. The American drama, he reminded me, was almost purely dialogue and the storylines were relatively easy to follow, since they always involved murder mysteries. Thus, he was able to focus intently on the subtleties of the dialogue.
***
Baseball aficionados out there may be interested in checking out ex-New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine's blog. He's now the Chiba Lotte Mariners skipper in his second stint as a Japanese manager - he worked here before taking over as the Mets field pilot in the 1990s. A year ago, he led the club to the Japan Series title.
He's embraced the Japanese culture, the language and living here, which has made him a fan favorite.
Here's the link:
http://www.bobbysway.jp/
***
Written in English characters, or Romaji, the Japanese words for trust and heart are separated by only one letter.
Shinyo = trust
Shinzo = heart
I like that.
And now it's time to say oyasumi nasai (good night).
