Clubs are a big part of student life in Japan. From junior high school all the way through to university, students spend hours away from home with their classmates, immersed in an extra-curricular endeavour of choice. While sporting clubs, music clubs, and culture clubs are common, it’s not everyday you come across a JK club. So when a group of university students posted their pamphlet for new recruits online, even Japanese netizens were left scratching their heads. Could this be a group of JK Rowling enthusiasts? A Japan/Korea appreciation society? The real answer turned out to be just as perturbing, with Japanese commenters still wondering why.
The pamphlet, handed out by students at Hitotsubashi University, a national university specialising in the social sciences in Tokyo, sets out the basic tenets of the club, complete with a cute anime character encouraging new recruits to join. Their main activity is said to be “research into all things JK-related”. Even guys who like JK are encouraged to join the non-discriminatory group.
And here is JK. Famous throughout Japan as a TV and radio personality, he’s also well-known for his narration in the Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 video game (known in Asia as World Soccer: Winning Eleven 2011) and his rousing cry of “Go-go-gooooooal!”
His enthusiastic sports commentary has inspired merchandise including a keyring that plays out his famous catchphrases. Proving the breadth of his skills, his portfolio of work also includes the role of narrator for the Japanese version of Thomas the Tank Engine. No wonder university students are excited enough to dedicate hours of discussion to him.
Japanese twitter users, however, were still puzzled by the dedication. Commenters questioned what type of “research” the group would do on him while others wondered why the cute anime girl was ten times larger than the tiny picture of Mr. Kabira on the pamphlet. Some did put their hands up though, offering to captain the club, and asking if non-university members would be allowed to join.
Whatever the controversy, we think the JK club sounds like fun. Not bad for the 54-year-old Okinawan native who was once bullied at school for his mixed Japanese-American heritage. Well done, sir. Well done.
Sources: Jin115.com
Images: Jon Kabira Official Web Site, Nigiwa Showten
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