Author: Kangaeroo

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    フチューで「ナイス・タ－・ミッチュー」

    There’s McDonald’s in just about every town in Japan, but in Fuchu at the moment, there’s a couple of MacDonalds with a very special story, indeed.　日本全国どこへ行ってもマクドナルドはある。でも今、東京・府中にある“マクドナルド”はちょっとワケが違う。 Connor and Callum MacDonald are brothers from Brisbane, and both professional sports people whose games took them to different sides of the world….except for now.　ブリスベン出身の兄弟、コナー・マクドナルドとカラム・マクドナルド。ともにプロアスリートとして世界を股にかけて戦ってきた2人のキャリアが、いま再び交差している。 Connor MacDonald is in Fuchu as part of the Australian team taking part in the Japan leg of the World Baseball Classic, which will be held in Tokyo in March. The Aussies are based in Fuchu, which they have made their home away from home for the third time, and join a long list of Australian sporting teams to…

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    Why Did Aussie Farmers Invest In Japanese Genetics?

    なぜオージーの畜産家は日本の和牛遺伝資源に投資したのか？ When Australia’s cattle industry discovered the extraordinary qualities of Japanese wagyu, success was anything but guaranteed. A small group of pioneering Aussie breeders took enormous risks, investing in bloodlines from the other side of the world. Their gamble helped create one of Australia’s most remarkable agricultural success stories. オーストラリアの畜産業が日本の和牛に注目した当時、その成功は決して約束されていませんでした。遠く日本の和牛遺伝資源に投資した少数のオージー畜産家たちの挑戦が、やがて世界的な成功へとつながっていきます。 A Leap Into the Unknown 未知への挑戦 In the early 1990s, premium beef was becoming increasingly important in international markets. While Australia already exported large volumes of beef, a handful of producers believed there was room for something exceptional. Japanese wagyu stood apart from every other breed they had studied. Its extraordinary marbling, eating quality and long-established reputation convinced them that…

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    Japan’s ‘Japow’ Transforms Australia Into A Winter Sports Force

    For most of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano and Cortina, Australia occupied a prominent position on the medal tally. In fact, that land famous for its searing heat, blistering sunshine and water games outranked countries like Canada, where snow sports are a part of daily life from birth, and recent Winter Olympic Games powerhouses like China and Korea. And Japan, itself one of the top Winter Olympics performers, has much to do with Australia’s success. Australia has taken part in every Olympic Winter Games since 1936. But it didn’t win a medal until 1994, and a woman didn’t pick up one until 1998. That year, the Winter Games…

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    How Did Wagyu Become An Aussie Success Story?

    和牛はどのようにオーストラリアで成功を収めたのか？ Australia is now one of the world’s largest producers of wagyu beef, but few people know that its success began with a remarkable partnership between Japanese genetics and Aussie cattle producers. This is the story of how trust, science and shared ambition created one of the world’s great agricultural success stories. 現在、オーストラリアは世界有数の和牛生産国です。しかし、その成功が日本の和牛遺伝資源とオージーの畜産家たちとの協力から始まったことは、あまり知られていません。信頼と技術、そして共通の志が生み出した日豪農業協力の物語です。 A Japanese Treasure Finds a New Home 日本の宝が南半球へ For centuries, wagyu cattle were raised almost exclusively in Japan. Their unique genetics produced the exceptional marbling that made Japanese beef famous throughout the world. 和牛は何世紀もの間、日本だけで大切に改良・飼育されてきました。その優れた遺伝資源は、美しい霜降り肉を生み出し、日本を代表する食文化の一つとなりました。 Until the late twentieth century, very few wagyu cattle or their genetics left Japan. 20世紀後半まで、生きた和牛やその遺伝資源が海外へ渡ることは、ほとんどありませんでした。 Everything changed when Aussie cattle producers recognised the…

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    豪キャブラリー： Snow Bogan

    Snow boganはboganの一種であり、スキーやスノーボードなどウィンタースポーツが大好きで、主に割と甘やかされている裕福である、品位が欠けているうるさくて暴れん坊飲んべオーストラリア人のことです。北海道のニセコや長野県の白馬などでよく見かけます。無知で無駄遣いが激しい人が多いです。派手、眩しい服装で一目で分からなければ振る舞いが身勝手、迷惑行為であるため要注意人物が多い。Snogan（snowのboganとも言う。）日本語に説明すれば、「雪ヤンキー」が良い表現ではないか。 豪 英・米語 日本語 Snow boganSnogan Ski resort chavSnowfield redneck 無知で無駄遣いが激しい人を指す言葉です「雪ヤンキー」と言えば分かりやすいかもしれません

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    How Did Former Enemies Become Partners in Remembrance?

    敵国だった日豪は、どのように共に追悼する関係になったのか？ In Why Does Australia Have So Many Japanese War Memorials?, we explored why Australia has so many Japanese war memorials. In Where Can You Find Australia’s Japanese War Memorials?, we visited some of the places where those memorials can be found. Now, in the final instalment, we look at the remarkable journey that transformed places of wartime tragedy into lasting symbols of friendship between Australia and Japan. 「なぜオーストラリアには日本人戦没者慰霊碑がこんなに多いのか？」では 「なぜオーストラリアには日本人戦没者慰霊碑がこんなに多いのか？」では、なぜオーストラリアに多くの日本人戦没者慰霊碑があるのかを紹介しました。 「オーストラリアのどこに日本人戦没者慰霊碑があるのか？」では、オーストラリア各地に残る慰霊碑や墓地を訪ね、その歴史を見てきました。 最終回では、戦争の悲劇の舞台が、どのようにして日豪友好の象徴へと変わっていったのかをご紹介します。 From Conflict to Compassion 対立から思いやりへ When the Second World War ended in 1945, Australia faced a difficult question. How should a nation treat the graves of former enemies? For many Australians, the answer was simple. The dead deserved…

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    Where Can You Find Australia’s Japanese War Memorials?

    オーストラリアのどこに日本人戦没者慰霊碑があるのか？ In Why Does Australia Have So Many Japanese War Memorials?, we explored why Australia has so many Japanese war memorials and the remarkable spirit of remembrance and reconciliation behind them. This time, we travel across Australia to discover some of the places where these memorials stand today. Each tells a different story, but together they reflect a friendship that grew from one of history’s most difficult chapters. 第1回では 「Why Does Australia Have So Many Japanese War Memorials?」では、なぜオーストラリアに多くの日本人戦没者慰霊碑があるのか、その背景にある追悼と和解の精神について紹介しました。 今回は、オーストラリア各地に残る慰霊碑や墓地を訪ね、それぞれの場所に刻まれた歴史と、それを大切に守り続ける地域の人々の思いを見ていきます。 Cowra, New South Wales ニューサウスウェールズ州カウラ Cowra is home to the largest Japanese war cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 500 Japanese prisoners of war who died during the Cowra Breakout…

  • Anti-Asian ‘Rage Ranga’ Pauline Hanson’s Soft Spot For Japan

    Populist politicians are on the ascendency across the globe. Japan is heading to the polls with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who can probably be called a populist, tapping into strong anti-foreigner sentiment to give her Liberal Democratic Party its traditional grip on power. Joining demagogues like Trump, Farage, Le Pen, Wilders and Milei is Australia’s own “rage ranga” Pauline Hanson, whose political fortunes have taken an astonishing turn. Before going forward, a bit of disclosure: I despise the right-wing form of demagoguery spreading around the world, but lean toward populism on the opposite side of the political spectrum. I’m an angry, fearful old man. That makes me a prime populist…

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    Why Does Australia Have So Many Japanese War Memorials?

    なぜオーストラリアには日本人戦没者慰霊碑がこんなに多いのか？ Most Australians know about the fierce fighting against Japan during the Second World War. Few realise that Australia is also home to dozens of memorials dedicated to Japanese people. How can a country that fought such a bitter war also preserve monuments honouring former enemies? The answer lies not in politics, but in compassion, reconciliation and a shared belief that every life lost in war deserves to be remembered. Over the past 80 years, Australians and Japanese have worked together to care for cemeteries, restore memorials and commemorate those who never returned home. These quiet places tell an important story about how former enemies became trusted friends. 第二次世界大戦で日本と激しく戦ったことは、多くのオーストラリア人が知っています。しかし、オーストラリア国内に数多くの日本人戦没者慰霊碑や墓地があることを知る人は、それほど多くありません。 かつて敵国だった日本人を、なぜオーストラリアが今も大切に弔っているのでしょうか。その答えは政治ではなく、思いやりと和解、そして戦争で命を失ったすべての人々を忘れないという共通の願いにあります。…

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    Is Niseko Still Australia’s Ski Town?

    ニセコは今も「オーストラリア人のスキーの町」なのか？ Walk through Niseko today and you’ll hear conversations in Japanese, English, Mandarin, Korean and many other languages. The resort that Australians helped introduce to the world has become one of Asia’s most international winter destinations. Visitors now arrive from across the globe, while investment comes from many countries. So, after more than three decades, is Niseko still Australia’s ski town? 現在のニセコを歩くと、日本語だけでなく英語、中国語、韓国語など、さまざまな言語が聞こえてきます。 かつてオーストラリア人が世界に紹介したスキーリゾートは、今ではアジアを代表する国際的なウィンターリゾートへと成長しました。 では、30年以上が経った今でも、ニセコは「オーストラリア人のスキーの町」と言えるのでしょうか。 The Pioneer Years There was a time when Australians dominated Niseko’s international tourism scene. From the mid-1990s through the early 2000s, Australian visitors arrived in growing numbers, opening cafés, ski schools, accommodation businesses and tour companies. Their enthusiasm encouraged more travellers to discover Hokkaido’s famous powder…