Nadeshiko Japan!

Nadeshiko Japan, Japan's women's soccer team won the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011. They beat the USA team, 2-2(PK3-1) on the 18th. The game started around 3:00am. I was sleeping but today all the news were about the game. I could catch up with it.

Japan kept loosing the matches against USA 24 times. USA won the victory twice and rank at NO.1 in the world. Finally Japan beat them for the first time in the 25 matches and won the first victory in Asian countries.

We prayed for their victory but many thought it difficult. Therefore all of us are very happy!

Nadeshiko Japan is the team name. Nadeshiko is a flower name, a frilled pink carnation. Nadeshiko means pure love in  the language of flowers.



Nadeshiko


There is also a word, Yamato Nadeshiko. Japan was also called Yamato in ancient times. Yamato Nadeshiko means an ideal Japanese women who are neat and tidy.
If you like to know more, please check here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_nadeshiko
In the link, it says Yamato Nadeshiko is used in the context of nostalgia, referring to Japanese women with "good old" traits, as they are increasingly rare.
I think after the idea which is men and women are equal were widespread, Yamato Nadeshiko may be an endangered species now. Women over 60 still keep these traits.

At least, we still love the word and our soccer team! I post YouTube of the highlight of the final game yesterday.