As you probably know by now, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. You may also know that H-TEN has had its share of slogans through the years. We wanted to make this year special with a slogan that matches how we fans feel about the team, but also shows that we have a part to play in this as well! And so, thanks to our resident graphic designer Zorny, we present to you…
Let’s explain this a little. First, the kanji: 猛虎伏草
It is a four-kanji phrase, also called yojijukugo (四字熟語) in Japanese. Not a common one, but one that fits our team perfectly.
The first two kanji together are pronounced mōko, which means “fierce tiger.” You can hear that lyric in some of the players’ cheer songs, like Yoshio Itoi‘s, Shun Takayama‘s, and the Chance March, too. Since the cheering squad seems to love this lyric, how could we resist putting it in our slogan?
The next two kanji together are read fukusō, which means to hide in the grass.
The idea behind the four kanji together is that a fierce tiger, or a hero, cannot stay in hiding forever. It must always come out and accomplish what it is meant to do. In the case of our players, they are both fierce tigers and our heroes, and they are meant to thrill us! They cannot stay in hiding forever! When the opportunity presents itself, they must pounce!
As for the English component of our slogan, well, that part is for you and me. We also cannot keep our fierce Hanshin Tigers fandom under wraps and in submission. It must come out! Like a tiger caged in a zoo, it is unnatural for us to remain silent as fans.
Amidst the pandemic, we are told to “cheer in our hearts” at the stadium instead of raising our voices. I respect the rules put into place, but I also want to urge you all: Don’t Cage Your Inner Tiger! Let it out! Roar a little! (Or a lot!)
And when 2022 is all said and done, and the Tigers win their first pennant in 17 years, we will have all the more reason to roar, will we not? This is, after all, the Year of the Tigers!