Japanese Tennis player Naomi Osaka and NBA star Lebron James, have partnered to open a media company called Hana Kuma, that focuses on narratives that cross cultural barriers.
Hana Kuma, which means Flower Bear in Japanese, will produce stories that are culturally specific but universal to all audiences; “playful and bold in its approach to tackle important issues of society,” the company says.
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But what the Four-time Grand slam champion and four-time NBA champions are unlikely to know is that Hana Kuma, in Swahili — a language spoken by millions of Africans — loosely translates to ‘has no vagina’ in English.
Me trying to explain Hana Kuma is a media company to my female besties pic.twitter.com/vIgGmQIsjP
— Marcus (@Marcushy) June 22, 2022
Me confirming whether it’s true Hana Kuma 😄 pic.twitter.com/PZiJQtWHzc
— Kipling (@Kipling___) June 22, 2022
It’s something that certainly crosses cultural barriers in a completely different way in East Africa, Swahili’s cradle, and Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) have made a meal of it.
Me : Weka Hana Kuma
Relatives: pic.twitter.com/5oRkIGkwll— 🍁 Chali wa Kibera ☆🇰🇪 (@de_Mohvi) June 22, 2022
Whether it was deliberate marketing to spark KOT’s attention and provoke interest in the brand or purely a mistake or mishap on the research team’s end, the name is now clearly out there and visible.
Naomi Osaka, whose father is a Haitian and her mother Japanese, is however very excited to launch her company and will lean on the digital resources to gain a global audience and perspective.
Kama Hana Kuma how is she allowed to compete with other women? pic.twitter.com/iNyzO7iBVq
— Villager (@mturandom) June 21, 2022
“There has been an explosion of creators of color finally being equipped with resources and a huge platform,” Osaka said according to Hollywood Reporter.
Dad, switch TV to Hana Kuma channel😂 pic.twitter.com/BwHM9uSkuh
— MSEE WA MAYAI🥚🥚™ (@noblekid_ke) June 22, 2022
“In the streaming age, content has a more global perspective. You can see this in the popularity of television from Asia, Europe, and Latin America that the uniqueness can also be universal. My story is a testament to that as well. I’m so excited for what we are building at Hana Kuma. We will bring stories to life with this goal in mind: to make unique perspectives feel universal and inspire people along the way.”
