A group of 178 people with the name ‘Hirokazu Tanaka’ broke a Guinness World Record. They were the largest gathering of people with the same first and last name.
In 2005, the previous record was set by 164 people with the name ‘Martha Stewart’. That event was organized by a famous American businesswoman with the same name.
The event for the new world record was organized in Tokyo by the Tanaka Hirokazu association.
The Hirokazu Tanakas that attended the recent record breaking event were aged between 3 and 80. The participants have various backgrounds and jobs. One of them traveled from Vietnam to Japan.
One of the participants said that this was the third time the group tried to set the world record. In 2011, only 71 Hirokazu Tanakas attended, and in 2017, 87 Hirokazus showed up.
The association’s head member started the group for people with his name in 1994. In the past, only Hirokazu Tanakas with the same spelling or kanji Chinese characters were admitted. However, Guinness World Records accepts the same pronunciation or reading of the name, so the association changed their entry requirements and more members joined.
The group includes a former professional baseball player who said it was “such a weird feeling” to be with so many people with the same name.
The event was originally planned for 2020, along with the Tokyo Olympics, but both were postponed because of the coronavirus.
VOCABULARY
- Record – the most or least ever; the highest level ever; achieved for the first time
- Break a record – better or more extreme than anything that has come before
- Gathering – a meeting of people coming together in a group
- Previous – coming or occurring before something else; existing before in time or order; preceding
- Association – a group of people/organizations that come together; union; partnership;
- Attend – be present at a place or event; to go to an event; to be at an event
- Participant – a person who participates or takes part in something; a person involved in an activity; a person who actively does something at an event
- Various – different kinds; more than one; several
- Background – a person’s life experience, knowledge, and education; your personal/professional history
- Show up – attend; arrive; be there; go to
- Head – leader, top person, boss
- Character – a printed or written letter or symbol; figure; sign
- Admit – allow (someone) to enter a place; accept; take in
- Former – previous; past; ex-; before; in the past
- Originally – at first; in the beginning;
- Postpone – to delay; to reschedule for a later time; to put off; to push back;
Original story from Kyodo News below:
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