I was in Tokyo the summer of 1993. My practice — wherever I go and whenever possible — is to watch the local TV programmes, as it gives one a good indication of the local culture, say, their taste or sense of humour (e.g., through their entertainment programmes).
One such day-time entertainment programme was a general knowledge quiz with young (aged 20s) celebrities for participants. There were three teams — each a pair of male/female combination. The quiz master had four envelopes, marked A, B, C and D.
The quiz master approached the first pair, who chose envelope A. It was opened, and the question inside was put to the pair, who gave their answer.
The quiz master approached the second pair, who chose envelope C. It was opened, and the question inside was put to the pair, who gave their answer.
The quiz master then approached the third pair, with two envelopes left for them to choose from. The male celebrity, speaking in Japanese, chose B, with B uttered in English. Then he decided to embellish (or show off his English) by putting up two fingers in a Winston Churchill gesture and saying in English: “B for Bictory!”
(Tokyo, 1993)
