A change of name could mean it becomes confused with the U.S. state of Georgia, but it's a serious complaint and we'll give positive consideration to the matter.

Friday 27th March, 03:49 AM JST

A Foreign Ministry official, on the request by Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze that the official Japanese language name of the Caucasian country be changed from “Gurujia,” which is based on Russian, to “Jojia,” a pronunciation that reflects its English name. (Yomiuri Shimbun)

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4 Comments

Alphaape at 06:30 PM JST - 27th March

I think if the rest of the world knows that the mention the Republic of Georgia that it is not the U.S. state. The Foreign Ministry needs to stop getting it's information about the U.S. from rap videos extolling the virtues of the "A.T.L." (in Georgia, the state) and realize that the rest of the world is a bit ahead of them.
jonnyboy at 01:24 AM JST - 28th March

we'll give positive consideration to the matter

isn't this the classic Wa way of saying no?
kweto at 08:07 AM JST - 28th March

"... its ENGLISH name"? Heck! why not instead your country's (official?) name, Mr. Grigol Vashadze -- Sakartvelo?

And if we're talking word-association confusion for Japanese, well, rather than Ray Charles's favorite state, wouldn't it be Norika Fujiwara, Stevie Wonder and now The Blue Suit Man's favorite brand of canned coffee that first pops into people's minds here?
SumoBob at 04:37 PM JST - 30th March

"we'll give positive consideration to the matter"

isn't this the classic Wa way of saying no?

Spot on, Jonnyboy. It's classic J-bureaucratic jargon for "Nothing will be done."