Kusatte mo seijika?

[yanpa]

Who, What, Why: Why do Japanese politicians wave fish?

One of the victorious candidates in Japan's general election on Sunday appeared in front of cheering supporters holding a large fish. Why?

The politician was Shinjiro Koizumi, son of the retired former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who was re-elected to represent his father's former constituency for the conservative Liberal Democratic Party.

The fish was a tai, usually translated into English as "sea bream", or "red sea bream", or sometimes just as "snapper".

The fish is not a prop used by politicians alone. In fact, it is more commonly seen held aloft by winning sumo wrestlers - or on dinner plates to celebrate a happy occasion.

One reason given for this in Japan is the similarity between the word "tai", and the word for "joyous", "auspicious" or "deserving celebration" - o-medetai.

"Holding the fish hints at a pun, the fish 'tai' stands for 'o-medetai'," says Dr Ulrich Heinze of the University of East Anglia.

...more...

[Midwinter]

Such a rich and vibrant culture...

[Coligny]

Such a rich and vibrant culture...

With 4 muthaf00king seasonz...

[Russell]

Who, What, Why: Why do Japanese politicians wave fish?

For the same reason as Merican politicians wave flags?