O-mo-te-nashi

[klingon 10]

Crystal mentioned this word in her Olympic bid speech, and even managed to smile, but what's the English?

Realise it it probably one of those words that doesn't have one direct translation but...

[NoFakie 45]

Hospitality

 

I'm sure all the nihonjinron types will assure you its different though, and that no other country's way of doing hospitality is worthy of having a special word dedicated to it.

[grungy-gonads 54]

Perhaps we can call it....Japanese hospitality.

 

[pie-eater 207]

It must be good if it got Crystal to smile.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Is the text of her speech posted anywhere? Or a video of it?

[pie-eater 207]

It as in French, Metabo Oyaji....no-one understood it.

[pie-eater 207]

It is the first known sighting of her smiling though.

 

[Doktor Avalanche 0]

She used to be way hotter when she did the late night news.

Just sayin'.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

It is the first known sighting of her smiling though.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hggygKWwhg

 

That's rather distracting, having two languages running in parallel with both at full volume...

 

But NHK to the rescue with the script:

 

Nous vous offrirons un accueil vraiment unique.

(We will offer you a unique welcome.)

En japonais, il est possible de le décrire avec un seul mot : o-mo-te-na-shi.

(In Japanese, I can describe it in one unique word: omotenashi.)

L’omotenashi, c’est un sens profond de l’hospitalité, généreux et désintéressé…

(It means a spirit of selfless hospitality…)

Qui remonte à l’époque de nos ancêtres…

(One that dates back to our ancestors…)

Et qui est depuis resté ancré dans la culture ultra-moderne du Japon.

(Yet is ingrained in Japan’s ultra-modern culture.)

Cet « Omotenashi » explique pourquoi les Japonais prennent autant soin les uns des autres, de la même façon qu’ils prennent soin de leurs invités.

(‘Omotenashi’ explains why Japanese people take care of each other… and our guests... so well.)

Laissez-moi vous donner un exemple.

(Let me give you just one example.)

Si vous perdez quelque chose, vous êtes presque sûrs de le retrouver.

(If you lose something, you will almost certainly get it back.)

Même de l’argent liquide.

(Even cash.)

Rien que l’année dernière, plus de 30 millions de dollars en cash ont été rapportés à la police de Tokyo.

(In fact, last year, more than 30 million US dollars in lost cash was handed in to Tokyo police.)

D’après un récent sondage portant sur l’avis de soixante-quinze mille voyageurs, Tokyo est la ville la plus sûre du monde.

(Tokyo is the safest city in the world, according to a recent survey of 75,000 global travellers.)

Ils ont également élu Tokyo numéro 1 :

・Pour la qualité de ses transports publics

・Et pour la propreté de ses rues.

(They also voted Tokyo number one for:

・best public transport

・cleanest streets)

Tokyo est aussi considéré comme ayant les chauffeurs de taxis les plus sympathiques du monde.

(…and even the friendliest taxi drivers.)

 

Vous ressentirez cette qualité de vie dans tous les quartiers.

(In every district, you will see these assets.)

Vous allez découvrir notre culture traditionnelle…

(Traditional eastern culture)

Vous pourrez profiter des plus belles boutiques et des meilleurs restaurants, dans la ville qui compte le plus d’étoiles Michelin au monde.

(And the best in western shopping and restaurants, in the city with the biggest number of Michelin Stars in the world …)

Tout cela, réuni dans un paysage urbain futuriste.

(All combined in a futuristic cityscape.)

Le quartier d’Odaiba, où je travaille, est le centre de notre vision pour des Jeux parfaitement intégrés au centre-ville…

(The Odaiba district, where I work, is the heart of our vision for the first-ever ‘downtown’Games…)

les premiers Jeux en plein cœur d’une métropole…

(Fully integrated with the city-centre…)

Pour que la culture et le sport s’unissent de manière unique.

(so that culture, life and sport come together in a unique way.)

Des parcours pour les fans, des live sites et des animations ouvertes à tous relieront les nombreux sites des Jeux…

(Fan trails… live sites… and non-ticketed events will link many venues…)

Créant une ambiance incroyable…

(creating an incredible atmosphere…)

et laissant à tous les visiteurs, des souvenirs pour la vie…

(and providing every visitor with memories to last a lifetime.)

（日本語訳）

 

東京は皆様を、ユニークにお迎えします。

日本語ではそれを「おもてなし」という一語で表現できます。

それは、見返りを求めないホスピタリティの精神、それは先祖代々受け継がれながら、日本の超現代的な文化にも深く根付いています。「おもてなし」という言葉は、なぜ日本人が互いに助け合い、お迎えするお客様のことを大切にするかを示しています。

ひとつ簡単な例をご紹介しましょう。もし皆様が東京で何かを失くしたならば、ほぼ確実にそれは戻ってきます。

たとえ現金でも。実際に昨年、現金3,000万ドル以上が、落し物として、東京の警察署に届けられました。

 

世界を旅する75,000人の旅行者を対象として行った最近の調査によると、東京は世界で最も安全な都市です。この調査ではまた、東京は次の項目においても第１位の評価を受けました。

・公共交通機関

・街中の清潔さ

そして、タクシーの運転手の親切さ、においてもです。

あらゆる界隈で、これらの資産を目にするでしょう。東洋の伝統的な文化…そして最高級の西洋的なショッピングやレストランが、世界で最もミシュランの星が 多い街にあり…全てが、未来的な都市の景観に組み込まれています。私が働いているお台場は、史上初の“ダウンタウン”ゲームズを目指す我々のビジョンの中 心地でもあります…それは都心に完全に融合し…文化、生活、スポーツがユニークに一体化します。ファントレイル…ライブサイト…チケットを必要としないイ ベントが、共有スペースにおいて、多くの競技会場を結び、素晴らしい雰囲気を創り出します。

来訪者全てに、生涯忘れ得ぬ想い出をお約束します。

 

So:

L’omotenashi, c’est un sens profond de l’hospitalité, généreux et désintéressé…

(It means a spirit of selfless hospitality…)

見返りを求めないホスピタリティの精神

...apparently.

[oblivion 5]

......just be sure to pay your bill!

 

[NoFakie 45]

I must confess to being overcome by the "selfless hospitality" I get every time I walk into a Japanese bank.

It bet its even better when your dosh is some minor currency or, god forbid, travellers' checks.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Si vous perdez quelque chose, vous êtes presque sûrs de le retrouver.

(If you lose something, you will almost certainly get it back.)

Même de l’argent liquide.

(Even cash.)

Rien que l’année dernière, plus de 30 millions de dollars en cash ont été rapportés à la police de Tokyo.

(In fact, last year, more than 30 million US dollars in lost cash was handed in to Tokyo police.)

もし皆様が東京で何かを失くしたならば、ほぼ確実にそれは戻ってきます。

たとえ現金でも。実際に昨年、現金3,000万ドル以上が、落し物として、東京の警察署に届けられました。

 

I lost my wallet on the shinkansen in 1995. Still waiting for it to be returned.

(Had given up hope, but now I'm sure it will be.)

[Tubby Beaver 209]

To be fair.......I've lost a fair few things over here and had them returned with everything there....backpack on a train, shink ticket at Kagura, wallet with money in it.....back home I would never have seen them.

[Thundercat 60]

Such good timing! I was just watching a documentary on 'Kurisuterus' in Japan. Apparently, she is actually a robot prototype. Here is the newest version of 'Kurisuteru'.

 

http://youtu.be/X3oH01RXZrI

 

As you can see, they've worked out a few of the bugs and made her much more human like.

[Error404 0]

That belongs in the "Killer robot" thread.

[Chriselle 158]

She's hot!!....

 

No..not the robot....you wankers

 

Crystal..da yo!!

[Wizz 11]

I used to think that too.

But that was back when.

Has changed.

[grungy-gonads 54]

Proof of previously more-hot-ness

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvq4KsyIO8

[NoFakie 45]

Some omotenashi here from hosts with the most, the Tokyo Met Government themselves at their HQ. Who said Japanese people don't do passive aggressive. Please hands orff!!

[Nisoko 6]

[@tokyo 14]

Applies only in certain situations

[oblivion 5]

Proof of previously more-hot-ness

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvq4KsyIO8

 

Hope her neck was ok after all that looking up to find the camera.