Photo/Illutration Japan's head coach Hajime Moriyasu, left, and veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo meet reporters on Dec. 4, a day before the World Cup match against Croatia. (The Asahi Shimbun)

In Act I of “The Barber of Seville” by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), the title character, Figaro, belts out an exuberant aria with this refrain: “Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, bravissimo.”

I remember when I saw this opera for the first time in Rome, members of the audience responded to the baritone’s superb performance with shouts of “bravo,” as if it was a sing-along.

This Italian exclamation became a buzzword in Japan when the Japanese soccer team beat Germany in its first game of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Yuto Nagatomo, a veteran defender, chanted, “Bravo, everyone! Bravo! Bravo!”

The superlative of bravo is bravissimo. In Italy, where Nagatomo used to play, these words of praise are uttered in daily life.

There are various etymological theories, but it is generally believed that bravo is a composite of the Latin “barbarus” (savage, foreign) and “pravus” (depraved).

Around the 16th century, it appears to have meant a soldier or mercenary. Over time, however, the word came to denote superior abilities and techniques until it evolved into an exclamation of accolade.

This transition from bad to good is fascinating.

With Japan defeating Germany, losing to Costa Rica and then beating Spain in Qatar, the public’s evaluation of Japan's head coach Hajime Moriyasu rapidly swung between the two.

After being lauded for his “superb player substitutions,” he was blamed for failing to substitute his players quickly enough, and then exalted as the worker of “Moriyasu magic.”

After the Japan-Croatia game, I went out on the veranda of my home in a daze. It was 3 a.m., when my neighborhood would normally be pitch-black, but I saw lights on in many windows, showing just how much excitement the game had generated.

Japan failed to reach the final eight, but I want to welcome the players home with a heartfelt bravo.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 7

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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