TOKYO -- Ponder if you will, the word “Alvark.” No, it’s not a long-snouted burrowing mammal from Africa. Nor is it a shape-shifting anime robot from the galaxy Xronix.
It’s actually the name of the professional Japan-league basketball team owned by Toyota Motor Corp. And it may just be: The Worst. Team name. Ever.
Yet, like many of Toyota’s other made-up names, including Camry and Yaris, Alvark epitomizes the company’s almost desperate genius for inventing quizzical monikers.
The mighty Alvark made news this week (June 13) when Toyota announced that it had established a new independent company to run the team as part of a reorganization of Japan’s pro hoops world into a new federation called the B. League.
Despite being a sports team with a name more laughable than intimidating, the Toyota Alvark Tokyo -- with team colors of teal and red -- is a force on the floor.
In the last 15 years, they have won the Japan Basketball League title four times and the Emperor’s Cup twice. Last season, which ended in May, they went 47-8.
What’s an Alvark?
Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t know what an Alvark is. Toyota’s own explanation pushes the boundaries of plausibility. So, take a deep breath.
First, begin with an English transliteration of the Arabic word for “electric shock.” This, Toyota says, “reflects the enthusiasm of a team that plays in an electrifying style.”
Wait, there’s more.
“Al” is Arabic for “the” and the “V” stands for “victory.”
Next, combine that with “ark,” as in massive boat that can weather any storm, and, says Toyota, “Alvark also signifies an ark that carries the team to victory.” No joke.
It’s hard to fault Toyota’s originality. Such contortions work for many of its vehicles.
For starters, there’s the name of the best-selling Camry sedan. It’s a take on the Japanese word for crown, or kanmuri. At the lower end of the lineup is the Yaris subcompact. That name traces its roots to Charis, a Greek goddess of charm and beauty. But Toyota decided to tack on a German prefix for “yes” to give it a more positive spin, especially in Europe. Hence the “ya” sound, from the German ja.
Prius stems from the Latin for “prior” or “previous.”
In Japan, there is even a “Noah” minivan. Toyota says that name was chosen solely for the “soothing” sound; “no biblical reference was intended.”
Perhaps not as soothing, at least in recent years, is the Isis, another Japan-market minivan. No link to terrorism here. Toyota says it is named after the Egyptian goddess of fruitfulness in the hope that the vehicle enriches the lives of its passengers.
‘Mr. Incredible’
Companies in Japan, whether they make cars or computers, commonly have in-house professional sports teams that play teams sponsored by other companies.
The players are considered Toyota employees, even though they are scouted from around the world just to play sports.
Last season, the Alvark had four Americans on the court, including Jeff Gibbs as a captain. The 6-foot-2 center from Ohio goes by the nickname Mr. Incredible.
The reorganized Toyota Alvark Tokyo starts its new season in the B. League in September. The team is 90 percent owned by Toyota, and its chairman is the carmaker’s president, Akio Toyoda, who appears to be a big supporter.
“Alvark Tokyo subtly possess great power,” Toyoda said in a statement announcing the reboot. “Simply by playing, they have the power to invoke energy in their fans.”
Japanese companies sponsor a wide range of teams at varying levels of play, from top tier franchises in Japan’s pro baseball leagues to low-stakes intramural outfits.
Toyota has 35 teams to boost company morale, serve as marketing and advertising vehicles and foster community outreach.
At the non-pro level, Toyota fields company teams in skating, boating, badminton, handball and tennis, among others. It also runs professional company-league teams competing fiercely in rugby, baseball, women’s basketball, women’s softball.
It added the latest last July, just in time for summer: Beach volleyball, which, by the way, has been a formal Olympic event since the 1996 games in Atlanta.
Toyota said at the time it decided to enter beach volleyball -- in all its bikinied splendor -- “to actively reach out to younger generations and create a forum for communication through the sport.”
