Filming of the NHK the taiga drama (that serial from 8:00 - 8:15 each morning that everyone watches before dashing off to work) “Great Runner - Tokyo Olympic Tale,” 「いだてん～東京オリムピック噺」, which depicts the life of Kumamoto native Kanakuri Shiso (1891-1983), the first Japanese Olympic participant, began in April at the abandoned Jyoshima Elementary School in Ashikita, chosen as it resembles that of Kanakuri’s school in long-ago school in Tamana.
I’ve written about Kanakuri before and will do so again but thought I would draw attention to the Japanese title, particularly the phrase rendered in hiragana 「いだてん」. I’d first thought it was a Higo dialect idiom, but a bit of research provided a more interesting story. Weblio renders it both in hiragana and kanji (韋駄天) as a “great runner” - 「韋駄天走りに走る」could be translated a “run like the wind.”
Apparently, 韋駄天 is the Hindu god of war with many names but known mostly as Skanda in Sanskrit - somewhat akin to the Greek god Hermes/Roman, Mercury. We’ll be back later with more info, but jot this one down so that you can amaze your friends. - William
