The two names chosen for the 2020 Olympic mascots are fraught with problems.
Miraitowa is much too long to pronounce easily and very difficult for people from overseas to remember; and it has no understandable meaning. It doesn't even sound like a name.
The other name, Someity, is equally ridiculous. Most people will pronounce it "sum-itty," which is not how Japanese people will say it. If it is pronounced "so-matey," then it would seem to mean "so friendly." The sense of "so mighty," which is what the Olympic committee has in mind, is far from similar in sound. "Someity" will never be associated with "so mighty" by people from overseas. Both choices are typically short-sighted and lack any kind of international sense. Both names need to be changed immediately. They will make Japan the laughingstock of the world.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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