You’ve probably heard this news by now, about a Filipino technical intern trainee who rescued a boy from drowning in Fukuoka City in southern Japan. It has been reported by many news outlets and even tweeted by the Japanese ambassador to the Philippines.
Ambassador Endo Kazuya:
Heroism knows no boundaries
! A story of a true #BayaningFilipino
Here is Asahi Digital’s news item in English:
Jumping into the sea to save a drowning boy without thinking of your own safety is a truly heroic act. But what nailed it for many Japanese netizens is what our hero said afterwards:
But when the boy’s parents asked him for his contact information because they wanted to do something to thank him, he said, "What I did is not worth giving my name” and went home, according to the Fukuoka Coast Guard official.
What he reportedly said–translated into Japanense–was “名乗るほどの者ではない” (Nanoru hodo no mono dewanai), which translates to “I’m not a man whose name is worth mentioning,” which is a line a ronin would probably say after saving a village by killing off a gang of bandits and disappearing from history without a trace.
The comment section of Yahoo Japan, normally disdainful of foreigners, where a similar news item appeared, was full of praise for the nameless hero. (Edit: our hero has been identified as Mark Anthony Obena Rivera. Remember his name.)
Here’s a selection of comments, translated from the original Japanese.
Agree (23)
I see (0)
Hmm (1)
What a badass!!!
かっけぇ～！！！
The way he left is like something out of a Japanese period drama. That’s so cool.
日本の時代劇みたいな立ち去り方するじゃねーか
かっこいいぞ
Thank you. Handsome hero.
ありがとう。男前。
This guy is a samurai.
侍です！
Coolness like drawn in a painting. That line right out of a samurai movie. I hope we can meet this young foreigner again.
絵に描いたようなカッコよさ。日本の時代劇のようなセリフ。この外国人の若者とまた会えたら良いのにね。
Thank you!
ありがとう！
What a badass!! Thank you so much for saving this little boy.
かっこよすぎるやろ！！男児を救っていただいて本当にありがとう
I’m falling in love!
惚れてまうやろ〜！！
This is so cool.
かっこよすぎかよ
A foreigner with a samurai spirit, jumping right in is so awesome.
サムライ魂を持った外国人。すかさず飛び込むなんてカッコいいよ
Give this man an award.
表彰したいですよね。
“I’m not worth identifying myself,” he said and walked away. That’s a Filipino with a samurai spirit.
「名乗るほどの者ではない。」と言って立ち去る。フィリピン人にしてサムライ魂持ちですね。
Cute, I guess he learned that expression from a Japanese manga or something.
かわいい、日本の漫画かなにかで表現をおぼえたのですね。
What a wonderful man. I want to emulate him…
素晴らしい人物ですね。見習いたいもんだ…
So cool! I wonder if this kind of aesthetic is universal?
カッコいい！こういう美学は万国共通なんだろうか？
I remember a young Korean man who climbed down to the train tracks to rescue a drunken person at Shin-Okubo station more than 20 years ago. In that incident, he and another Japanese man who went down to help with the rescue both died, but I am very glad to hear that both the child and the Filipino man are safe this time.
二十年以上前に新大久保駅で起きた泥酔状態の人を助けようと線路に降りた韓国人青年の事を思い出しました。その事件では他に救出に降りた日本人男性共々犠牲になられてしまったのですが、今回は子供もフィリピン男性も無事との事で本当に良かったです。
The fact that they know his age probably means that they are respecting his wishes and are not reporting his name. Still, that’s really cool. Thank you so much.
年齢が分かっているということは、本人の意思を尊重して名前を伏せて報道しているということだろう。それにしても、カッコいいよ。 本当にありがとう。
Prejudice and discrimination are truly shameful. There are Japanese people who don’t want them in the country, and there are foreigners who want them to stay in the country. Just because it’s hard to communicate doesn’t change the heart of the people.
偏見、差別は本当に恥ずかしい。日本人にだって国内にいて欲しくない人もいるし、外国人だって国内に留まって欲しい人はいる。言葉が通じにくいだけで心根は何一つ変わらない。
People like this should be given permanent residence permits. I want the government to be stricter on bad foreigners. I would very much welcome young foreigners like this man. When I think about the father’s feelings, the guy is truly a life saver. As a Japanese person, I would like to express my sincere gratitude. Thank you, Philippines.
こういう方に永住許可を与えるべきだ。不良外国人にはどんどん厳しくして欲しい。こういう若者の外国人なら大歓迎です。父親の気持ち考えたらまさに命の恩人。日本人の一人として心から感謝したい。ありがとうフィリピン。
This guy is so cool! But the parents will want to thank him so much, so it might be a good idea to give his name out. I’m sure that child will remember his face. I’m sure the police and fire department will also give him recognition.
カッコよすぎる！でも親御さんは死ぬほどお礼が言いたいと思うから名乗りでるのもありかも。お子ちゃまがきっと顔を覚えてくれていると思います。警察や消防からも表彰されると思います。
That’s so cool. He jumped from high up into a deep place to rescue the boy, and even though his arms and legs must have been shaking, his mind was working and he said those words at a time like that. That must be the kind of person he normally is. It’s pretty hard to act cool in a situation like this, you know?
かっこいいわ。高さ深さがあるところへ飛び込んで救い上げ、手足もガタガタふるえるだろうに、そういう時に頭がさっと働いてそんな言葉が出るなんて。普段からそういう人なんだろうな。こういう時にかっこつけようと思ってもなかなか無理だよ？
I’m glad they were both saved. I saw in another news story that he revealed his identity to the Coast Guard, so we know how old he is. But they didn’t give his name to the parents, did they?
どちらも助かって良かったですね。海保には身元を明かしたって別のニュースで見ました。なので年齢は分かってる。ご両親には名乗らなかったということですね。
Just the other day, a Brazilian(?) guy jumped in and died, right? When something happens, foreigners are told to leave the country, and they are slandered and discriminated against, so I feel really sorry about that. In today’s Japan, no industry or business would function without foreign workers.
先日もブラジル？の方が飛び込んで亡くなりましたよね。何かあれば外国人は出て行けとか誹謗中傷されたり、差別されてるのに本当に申し訳ない。今の日本は外国人労働者が居なければどの業界、業種も回りません。
Let’s make this bigger news and encourage him to come forward. There’s no doubt that hearing the thoughts of people like him will be beneficial for the world. I’m really grateful.
もっと大きなニュースにして、名乗り出てきてもらおう。こういう方の考え方を聞くことによって、世の中にとってプラスになることは間違いない。本当に感謝だ。
What a cool guy. This may be causing some discomfort in Japan, where there is still a lot of isolationism. Thank you for taking action like this. It’s an example for others.
かっこいい。鎖国的な雰囲気がまだまだ多い日本で嫌な気持ちをさせてしまってるかもしれない。こんな行動をおこしてくれるなんてありがとう。見習わねば。
I’m glad that both of them were safe. Of course, children should wear life jackets and other things when fishing.
どちらも無事で良かった。子供ももちろんだけど、ライフジャケットなどを着用して釣りは楽しまないとね。
If he didn’t identify himself because he was staying in the country illegally or for some other reason, I think it was admirable that he took the risk to go and help.
仮に不法滞在などの理由で名乗らなかったのなら、そんなリスク負ってまで助けに行ったのは立派な事だと思います。
I would like more foreigners with this kind of heart to come to Japan.
こういう心を持った外国の方は、どんどん日本に来てもらいたいです。
Not all foreigners are bad people. But there are people who drink on the street in the city center. It’s hard to generalize, so it’s reassuring to know that there are people like this.
外国人も悪い連中ばかりじゃない。けどセンター街で路上飲みする連中みたいのも居る。一概には言えないから、こんな人間もいる出来事は安心する。
While there are many news reports about crimes committed by foreigners, there are good people like this out there. Thank you so much for helping
外国人の犯罪ニュースが多い中、このように良い人もいるんですよね。助けていただき本当にありがとうございましたm(_ _)m
I like the fact that many Filipinos have big hearts, but now I like them even more!
フィリピン人はバッグハートな人が多くて好感を持ってますが、さらに好きになりました！
This is really cool. I don’t think we should repay this kindness with insult. I really can’t find the words to express my gratitude.
本当にかっこいい。この恩を仇で返すような事をしてはいけないと思う。本当に、言葉にならないが、感謝を伝えたい。
Maybe he entered the country illegally. If that’s the case, I hope he’s given special residency status to such a good person.
不法入国とかなのかも知れん。こんな良い人には、もしそうだとしたら、特別に在留資格を与えて欲しい。
There is information that he is 26 years old though…! Thank you very much. What a wonderful young man.
26歳という情報はあるのに…！ありがとうございました。ステキな若者だ。
First of all, was it a licensed fishing spot? Were safety measures such as life jackets taken? This was a story that didn’t need to become a heroic tale.
そもそもそこは許可を得た釣り場ですか？ライフジャケット等の安全対策は採られていましたか？美談が生まれる必要も無かった話。
That’s something that every man wants to say at least once in his life. Only a few people who can do such a brave act can say that line.
男なら一生で一度は言ってみたい台詞。こういう勇敢な行動ができる僅かな人しか言えないな。
This Filipino man who rescued a boy, just left looking cool like a scene from a movie.
子供を助けたフィリピン男性、映画の一コマの様にカッコ良く去りましたね・・・
The man who says he’s not worthy of giving out his name is too much of a real hero.
名乗るもんじゃないってひとは正義のヒーローすぎる
I think I would have helped too. And then I would have said my name. LOL
自分も助けると思う。そして名乗る。笑
Maybe he didn’t have a visa? He has courage though.
ビザなかったんじゃない？勇敢ではあるけど。
