Every year we try to give H-TEN readers a slogan to spur them on to higher levels of fandom. H-TEN graphic designer Zorny has annually given us fresh, new, powerful looks based on the slogans that I (T-Ray) have chosen. Here are the four most recent seasons’ slogans and banners:
And if you liked those, I am positive you are going to be thrilled with the one Zorny’s prepared for us in 2024!
Let’s explain this a little. The green background pays homage to the Tigers’ home ground, Hanshin Koshien Stadium. On August 1, 2024, the stadium turns 100 years old. As you may already know, the stadium’s exterior walls are adorned with ivy, making the building iconic. The green in this year’s banner shouts its approval: LONG LIVE KOSHIEN!
Next, the kanji:
騎虎之勢
It is a four-kanji phrase, also called yojijukugo (四字熟語) in Japanese. These kanji phrases often express some concept or proverb. I always choose something with the kanji for TIGER and make sure it relates to the team as well as its fans.
The first two kanji together are pronounced kiko. The first kanji is used for jockeys (騎士 = kishi) and the second is tiger. That’s where we get the basic English slogan as well.
The third kanji (read no in this case) is actually just a particle that serves a grammatical function. In this case, “of.” As an independent kanji, it can also hold the meaning “to go.” The last kanji is pronounced ikioi and means “momentum.”
Put together, it is read “kiko no ikioi” and according to this website, means the following. Once momentum is built up, it is impossible to quit halfway. A person who rides a tiger will be devoured if she/he gets off, so there is no option but to keep on riding.
And so, as simple and as powerful as the English part of the slogan is, the Japanese kanji complements it perfectly. We, the Hanshin Tigers nation, built up some serious momentum by winning the Japan Series in 2023. It is inadvisable, nay, impossible to get off the Tigers now! You have no option but to keep on enjoying the ride!
As you may also know, H-TEN is celebrating its 10th anniversary in May 2024. We have not stopped riding the Tiger, and we never intend to… and we encourage you to stay on board with us long-term as well.
Let’s go, Hanshin Tigers! Give us back-to-back pennants!