Recent news from Japan
Who is this man?
Why was he in the news recently?
From the newspaper:
“On Britain’s Got Talent, Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura walked onto stage in a bathrobe and introduced himself to the audience. Then he said: “I’m wearing pants but I can pose naked!”
How did the judges and audience react?
Are you surprised by their reaction?
From the newspaper:
He received a standing ovation from everyone in the London Palladium, Tonikaku’s audition was a total hit.
standing ovation = the audience stands up and claps
a total hit = really popular
A “British culture expert” on Japanese TV said that British people like seeing naked people so she wasn’t surprised by the reaction. Do you think that’s true?
How do you feel about Tonikaku representing Japan like this?
What image do British people have about Japanese people now?
A couple of weeks before Tonikaku auditioned, this Japanese man did too.
fart = (noun/verb)
air comes out of your bum
おなら
This was the headline in the BBC last week:
Japan street piano confiscated after public 'break rules'
A city in Japan has decided to remove a street piano after officials felt too many people were displaying bad manners while playing.
The local council in Kakogawa placed a piano inside the area's main railway station in November.
confiscate (verb) = to take something away from someone because the item breaks the rules
e.g. “Your phone will be confiscated if you use it at school”
What do you think people were doing? (bad manners)
The article listed these bad manners:
people playing too long (over 10 minutes)
people singing
practising the same sounds, over and over - for up to an hour
continuing to play during station announcements
How do you feel about the station’s rules?
What image does this news story give of Japanese people?