Ganbare Nihon 9 months later

[JohnBraden]

Every time I see NHK news or go to a Japanese website, I still see the がんばれ日本, either at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, government buildings, organized sports institutions, etc. It got me thinking about the phrase and its meaning and response.

Nearly 9 months after the disaster, most of the country is "back to normal" (I say this with some degree of generalization). Things will never be the same for some, but for most, apart from some changes in how the country deals with energy issues, etc., life for most people is unchanged.

How much "in your face" is the slogan visible in Japan? How do those who live in Japan see the slogan after 9 months. Are people unfazed by the slogan and its meaning? Are they tired of seeing it?

I have a feeling it has lost some of its meaning and maybe its time for the slogan to go away, but not the sentiment. How do you feel? Discuss....

[Nyororin]

When I spot it (It is Nippon in this case, not Nihon), it is usually on some product - and it has a specific meaning. Either the product is something from or using ingredients from affected areas, or the maker has pledged so much toward support efforts.

It really isn`t overdone - I just think you are seeing it because it is placed strategically to be visible internationally.

As for being back to normal - in the areas affected, I don`t feel that this is the case at all. The earthquake and tsunami damage may have been a single event, but the radioactive contamination is ongoing. The biggest uses I pointed out above (signalling products supporting the area) are significant because it IS hard at this point to return to normal. I don`t mean in the sense of "family died! house destroyed!" meaning of disruption, but in a more general sense. People who made money farming and fishing in a very large area now have no means to make a living. Tourism is now virtually nonexistent in the area. The phrase, in my eyes, is aimed in this direction. It is signalling support not just for the displaced and directly hit, but those who have lost the means to make a living in the aftermath.

[JohnBraden]

Nyororin, I get the general picture. I'm not naive to think things are "hunki-dori" for most. Companies that had factories in the affected areas and relied on those parts for completing whatever they make have to relocate and start anew, slowing their productivity. Kids in the area aren't growing at the same rate they did last year due to the fact they can't play outdoors and their physical development is affected. Those and the ones you mentioned are but a few of the problems still facing the country and those affected.

As for the "back to normal" remark, I meant the large portion of the country that wasn't affected by any of the 3 events....

I wasn't aware of how the slogan is used on a normal basis in Japan; thank you for your insight.

How do the people affected by it all see the slogan? "Lots of words of support but no real aid" is the feeling I get those people have. I only get some information here in the States, so I don't really know what is going on there. I know temporary housing has been set up for most, but I also heard they must vacate within 2 years. Is this true? What happens to them after that? (It's a rhetorical question-not expecting an answer).

Thank you for correcting my Nihon/Nippon error!