How to pronounce the name of this sushi store at Waikato Hospital has divided opinions on social media. Photo / Braden Grace
By Luke Kirkness
A new sushi shop in the Waikato has caused a stir online because of its name.
Fuku Sushi - pronounced Foo Koo - has recently opened at Waikato Hospital's Meade Centre and some residents have noted it's close to a certain swear word. Fuku means fortune in
Japanese.
"Keen to get people's opinions on the new sushi bar name in the Meade clinic at Waikato hospital! Funny or border line?? I know it's probably translated differently but do you think it encourages bad language in children [sic]," Braden Grace said on the Hamilton&Waikato Region Community Grapevine Facebook page.
Commenters had mixed responses; some thought that it was funny but others thought it was offensive.
"I must admit I did a double take when I saw it and had to have a little giggle," Donna Masters said. Christine Susianto claimed that it was the "Austin Powers sushi bar".
Jacqui Mitchell said it was "not cool when parents [are] trying to teach better".
Most commenters however found it ignorant for people to think that it was offensive.
Rob Egan doesn't "see a problem when we have places called Whakatane", and others thought it encourages people to learn about other cultures. It encourages "correct pronunciation of words from other languages", Ara Haddon said.
"Clearly whoever reacted badly to this has no idea of other cultures apart from their own," added Aman Sharma.
A DHB spokeswoman said Fuku Sushi "has only been open a couple of weeks, serves great sushi, and is already proving popular with visitors and staff".
She was unimpressed that people were "making fun of another culture and language".
A request to visit the sushi store was declined.
