「安らかに眠る」 (Rest in Peace) Trends on X, Sparks Debate Over Its Use for Living Babies; Comparison to "Silent Return Home" Incident
On SNS X, "安らかに眠る" (yasuraka ni nemuru, often translated as "rest in peace") has rapidly emerged as a trending topic, sparking a lively debate about its usage. The controversy began when a media outlet published an article using this phrase to describe a living baby. Many users expressed their understanding of the phrase as "words for the deceased," raising questions about the reporter's Japanese proficiency and the media outlet's editorial review process. Many of the posted opinions were negative, stating, "A normal Japanese person wouldn't use '安らかに眠る' to describe a sleeping baby" and "Since it's often used for the deceased, it feels unsettling." Some users referenced past controversies over the misuse of idioms with specific connotations, such as "無言の帰宅" (mugon no kitaku, "silent return home"), and offered harsh criticism of the media's linguistic competence, remarking, "This is th...