Japanese Team Names

Discussion in 'Japan' started by C-bus, Feb 24, 2007.

  1. C-bus

    C-bus Member

    Aug 2, 2006
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I never could figure out what the hell they're suppose to mean. Verdy, S-Pulse, Ardija, Grampus Eight, etc... as far as I know, these aren't English or Japanese words so what do they mean? Why is it that Japanese teams don't just have Japanese names?

    Anyone have any idea/history on this subject?

    -Arigatou
     
  2. goru_no_ura

    goru_no_ura Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 20, 2006
    Miyako of Zipang
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    For the most, they're words from European languages turned into nicknames.
    For example:

    - Verdy, for example would be 'the greens' (verdi) in Italian,
    Gamba means 'leg' in italian, but also sound as 'ganbaru' (=to do one's best) in Japanese
    - Marinos, Reysol (=king sun?) and Cerezo (=cherry tree) are Spanish,
    - Jubilo is Latin (=happiness, more or less),
    - Reds and S-Pulse are of course English,
    - Flugels was German, etc...

    Some other interesting ones are:

    - Sanga, which is a Sanskrit Buddhist term that could be losely translated as "group" (a bit as Eintracht in German, I suppose);
    - Sanfrecce which is a Japanese-Italian hybrid for "three arrows" (See Kurosawa's movie "Ran" to understand the meaning of the name); and
    - Thespa, named after "the spa" (=hot spring bath, onsen) where the club was founded in Kusatsu.

    I am sure others will add more names' meanings. They're actually quite fun.
     
  3. Ishikawa18

    Ishikawa18 New Member

    Oct 1, 2005
    Germany
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    the word "Sanfrecce" comes from the mori-clan in Hiroshima

    from: wikipedia.org
     
  4. Ishikawa18

    Ishikawa18 New Member

    Oct 1, 2005
    Germany
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    "Flügel" is the german word for Wing
     
  5. lilcookie

    lilcookie Member

    May 6, 2005
    choc chip mountain
    hahah , how cute nowi understand, but whats with Avispa Fukuoka, i don't get it
     
  6. Rowdies4ever

    Rowdies4ever New Member

    Jun 11, 2006
    New England
    The J-League has some of the more imaginative and interesting names in world club football. The J-League clubs obviously aren't afraid of using both the traditional naming conventions (ie, FC Tokyo) and the non-traditional, nor are they afraid of mixing Japanese and non-Japanese terminology.

    The J-League is the perfect antidote to all of my fellow American citizens on BigSoccer who are myopic whiners who can't conceive of the concept of club names that don't follow the pattern of NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL naming conventions.

    They trash interesting 'new' types of names like 'Clash' or 'Fusion' or 'Mutiny' or 'Galaxy' or 'Revolution' or 'Rapids' or 'Fire' because NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL doesn't use these names, so that rules out (in their type of thinking) the creative new types of names the J-League clubs have come up with, which are even wilder and more imaginative.

    On the other hand, however, they don't like 'old' or traditional names, either, if they aren't NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL type names, especially if they are names used by 'foreign football clubs'; so if you want to use FC or AC or United or Arsenal or Real or Rovers or Wanderers, they call you a 'poser' or a 'thief' even though football clubs have been 'posing' and 'stealing' these types of names from each other for over 140 years.

    Why is it that the Japanese have no problems with developing their own unique traditions within the context of world football traditions, whereas Americans can't seem to develop a clue on this topic? They want to turn MLS into a pale imitation of NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL, and yet don't seem to comprehend why the resulting 'product' is so unsatisfying to world football fans here in the USA.

    It's not like we don't already have a wealth of soccer history here in the USA to draw from, that does not rely on the seal of approval of the NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL or the established sporting media here in the USA which is going to hate on soccer no matter what we call our clubs.
     
  7. Rowdies4ever

    Rowdies4ever New Member

    Jun 11, 2006
    New England
    Apropos of nothing: a Vespa is also an Italian motor scooter (Vespa = Avispa = Wasp). There's also a rugby club in England called the Wasps.
     
  8. C-bus

    C-bus Member

    Aug 2, 2006
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for the info guys. I still kept wondering what an S-pulse was, like maybe a physics term or somethign? So I went to the almighty bank of knowledge (Wiki):

    That's pretty cool. Anyway, Rowdies4ever, I've wondered myself why MLS couldn't just name teams whatever they wanted and not focused on our traditional names vs. European traditional names. Whenever America takes something from abroad and "Americanizes" it, people tend to think it's not real or cheesey. However, anything that penetrates the Japanese market becomes "Japanified" and people think it's cute. I don't know why we have such stigma about giving our own spin on things but we do. Now having said that, I was against the original '96 style hockey shootout which was going too far.
     
  9. shuvy87

    shuvy87 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 17, 2003
    USA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Simply put, that's the diffirence between Japanese and American personality. If you grow up in both countries, you can feel the diffirence.
     
  10. all4one

    all4one New Member

    Nov 16, 2006
    Japan
    The "JEF" in JEF United Ichihara Chiba apparently is from "JR East" and "Furukawa Electric", from what I hear.

    Vegalta Sendai comes from two constellations or stars "Vega" and "Altair".
    (Formerly, they were known as Brummel Sendai; I don't know where that name came from)

    Sanfrecce Hiroshima-
    San comes from the word "three" in Japanese, "frecce" apparently means arrow in Italian.
     
  11. goru_no_ura

    goru_no_ura Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 20, 2006
    Miyako of Zipang
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    As said above, it does, it actually means 'arrowS.' Arrow is 'freccIA'

    Btw, since we're on Italian, ROSSO Kumamoto means "RED Kumamoto"

    Montedio means literally "Mount - God" but I don't know the story behind the name...
     
  12. lilcookie

    lilcookie Member

    May 6, 2005
    choc chip mountain
    haha the sound of Vegalta reminds me of Vegeta from Dragonball Z
    i think They shoulda stuck with Brummel, sounds better
     
  13. greenlion

    greenlion Member

    Apr 22, 2004
    CHINA
    Club:
    Beijing Guoan
    Nat'l Team:
    China PR
    Here are the Chinese translation and english meaning of clubs

    1.Urawa Red Diamonds 浦和红钻/浦和紅鑽 Red Diamond
    2.Kawasaki Frontale 川崎先锋/川崎先鋒 Vanguard
    3.Gamba Osaka 大阪飞脚/大阪飛腳 Fleet-footed
    4.Shimizu SPulse 清水鼓动/清水脈動 Pulse
    5.Jubilo Iwata 磐田喜悦/磐田喜悅 Jubilant
    6.Kashima Antlers 鹿岛鹿角/鹿島鹿角 Antler
    7.Nagoya Grampus Eight 名古屋八鲸/名古屋八鯨 Eight Whales
    8.Oita Trinita 大分三神/大分三神 Three Gods
    9.Yokohama F.Marinos 横滨水手/橫濱水手 Mariner
    10.Sanfrecce Hiroshima 广岛三箭/廣島三箭 Three Arrow
    11.JEF United Ichihara Chiba 千叶市原/千葉市原
    12.Omiya Ardija 大宫粟鼠/大宮粟鼠 Squirrel
    13.FC Tokyo 东京FC/東京FC
    14.Albirex Niigata 新泻天鹅/新瀉天鵝 Swan
    15.Ventforet Kofu 甲府风林/甲府風林 Windy Forest
    16.Yokohama FC 横滨FC橫濱FC
    17.Vissel Kobe 神户胜利船/神戶勝利船 Triumphal Vessel
    18.Kashiwa Reysol 柏太阳神/柏太陽神 Apollo
     
  14. hallelujah_united

    Oct 21, 2006
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    Montedio's name has something to do with Yamagata being in a moutainous area and all I think...
     
  15. goru_no_ura

    goru_no_ura Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 20, 2006
    Miyako of Zipang
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    7 - How ironic, during a period when Japanese whaling ships are killing endangered whales in a wildlife sanctuary in Antartica... :mad:
    Anyway, I think there is a "grampus" on the top of Nagoya's castle. It might come from that.

    8 - I am wondering if Trinita (Trinity)'s name has to do with the Japanese Christian heritage of Kyushu...
     
  16. HSEUPASSION

    HSEUPASSION New Member

    Apr 16, 2005
    Duck, NC
    1. Community
    2. Companies
    3. Local government

    The trinity that helped form the team.
     
  17. lilcookie

    lilcookie Member

    May 6, 2005
    choc chip mountain
    HAHAH you're right, but seriously what do the japanese do with the whale meat?
     
  18. NoRightFoot

    NoRightFoot Member

    May 18, 2006
    Melbourne, at times.
    Club:
    Malmo FF
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    They try and steal it from other peoples waters and then arrogantly crack the shits when they get caught. :)
     
  19. goru_no_ura

    goru_no_ura Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 20, 2006
    Miyako of Zipang
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    OT = Whales

    As a country with a strong Buddhist tradition, they should reflect upon the karmic retribution that their main whaling ship got this year: the engine burnt down for a week, and they were stranded in antartic waters, until they finally repaired the ship, but had to abandon the hunting (yahoo!!). :p
     
  20. shinpath

    shinpath Member

    Feb 14, 2003
    Shanghai, PR China
    Club:
    --other--
    Oh yeah, we were reflecting hard over a nice bowl of rice topped with whale bacon. I'll buy it when it's on sale at my local super for 200 yen. Mostly blubber, but the bit of meat reminds me of the one piece of pork you used to get in a can of Van de Kamps pork and beans. Reflect on karmic retribution? Yeah right.
     
  21. lilcookie

    lilcookie Member

    May 6, 2005
    choc chip mountain
    back to topic, sorry to get all random here
     
  22. goru_no_ura

    goru_no_ura Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 20, 2006
    Miyako of Zipang
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Oh, now I got it!

    That is what the Japanese mean when they say that the whales are killed for "scientific research"!!

    They feed them to gaijins who think they're getting a treat for 200 yen, and without any apparent reason turn into Cerezo fans!! ;)

    (ok, ok, end of OT for me as well... just messing around a bit, c'mon...)

    Anyway, I guess there used to be a Japanese baseball team called "Whalers"
     
  23. 北斗のラオウ

    北斗のラオウ New Member

    Mar 2, 2007
    *** Post deleted by moderator ***
    Reason: racist comment
     
  24. lilcookie

    lilcookie Member

    May 6, 2005
    choc chip mountain
    is this another noah? or is it noah
     
  25. goru_no_ura

    goru_no_ura Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 20, 2006
    Miyako of Zipang
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Whoever he was, he's gone.

    Now, since gome good humor degenerated into racism, please no more whales (I started it, and I regret it), and back to when this post was fun.

    Thank You!
     

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