Ten nations ten minds, Japan has a playful custom of picking at the year’s end the most popular Keyword of the Year – whatever words or phrases that best feature the passing year. Some dozen words and phrases were nominated to symbolize the year 2019, out of which “ONE TEAM” was picked to best describe the nation’s 365 days this year.

ONE TEAM is as you know the catchphrase that helped bind Japan’s rugger men to make it to the semi-quarter final in the World Rugby 2019. The feat was the highest ever marked by Japan’s rugby, a sport somewhat minor as compared with baseball, soccer, etc.

Japan is short of rugged men and her rugby team required foreign players from six other countries to create a joint team of seven nationals, hence ONE TEAM.

Equally popular words and expressions nominated along with ONE TEAM include “scheduled suspension of service” to evade approaching typhoons; “reduced tax rates” set along with the across-the-table 10% sales tax, “Smiling Cinderella” of woman golfer Hinako Shibuno who swept the British Open; “tapiru” or enjoy tapioca drink; and a few others. Oh, let’s not skip Ichiro’s retirement speech in which the famed ballplayer remarked: “there can’t be any reason to regret”.

The now passing 2019th year happens to be the 1st year in Japan’s new era name Reiwa after the enthronement of the new Emperor Naruhito. The new era name was among the candidates.

Chairman Shigetaka Mori of the Japan Rugby Association was momentarily in tears to learn ONE TEAM was nominated among the top ten options thanking all to have promoted the sport to that extent. When granted the Grand Prix, Mr. Mori was all in smile this time saying:

“Well, we thought of challenging a once-in-lifetime feat, but now that rugby is now made this popular in Japan, we’ve made our minds up to challenge twenty and thirty years from now.

“We promise we will do a lot better in the World Cup 2023. Thank you for all your support.”

—Sponsered Link—