Fascination for NIPPON culture lives on

In celebration of the 68th anniversary of Philippines-Japan Friendship Month, we retrace the roots of our fascination with our Asian neighbor.

Truth be told, our love affair with Japanese culture is going strong. Proof of that is the fact that Japan is the top destination for Filipino travelers. And it’s apparently not enough for us to just visit and absorb their culture. We like to bring the experience back home. Look around and it’s hard to not notice the ubiquitous Japanese restaurants that sprouted through the years, with more expected to rise across the country, Japanese cuisine being a top choice among local diners, along with Chinese and Filipino food.

Among the youth, anime (animation shows) and manga comics have gained a phenomenal following as you’ve probably noticed from the troves of fabulously attired fans who flock to cosplay conventions dressed as their favorite character. Some of this generation’s favorite anime protagonists, most of whom originated from manga comics, include the ninja Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Ghost Fighter and the heroine who sparked the trend for the school girl style — Sailor Moon.

But it’s anime lead robot, Voltes V, introduced to the country back in 1979 alongside Mazinger Z, UFO Robo Grandiser, etc., who proved to be an enduring charmer.

Back in the late ‘70s, young fans would “volt in” with other family members in the early evening to watch Voltes V fight his evil enemies on TV. Some could even sing along to the catchy theme, in Japanese! Recently, GMA 7 brought the robot to the present generation with its own local adaptation titled Voltes V: Legacy, still currently airing since its premiere last year, with a cinematic version to be released in Japan this coming October.

The bonsai trend also started sometime in the ‘70s, according to the Philippine Bonsai Society’s past president Bobby Gopiao, and continued to grow through the years. An award-winning hobbyist himself, Gopiao says that the Philippines is presently ranked third in the world, just behind Japan and Taiwan, in terms of bonsai practitioners.

Filipino kids who grew up in the ‘90s, meanwhile, got to enjoy some of the most iconic outputs from Japan’s great toys and gadgets makers. One of the first to gain popularity is Nintendo’s Game Boy, followed by Sony’s PlayStation. But Tamagotchi became a fad not just among kids, but also among adults who enjoyed caring for a virtual pet. It was also in the ‘90s when Pokemon was released on the Game Boy — the start of its storied journey as a pop culture phenomena.

Japanese culture has also left its mark on contemporary Philippine art, seen in some pieces offered for bidding at Salcedo Auctions’ previous sales. That includes Fernando Zobel’s oil on canvas abstract titled Invierno en Sevilla IV, which reveals the graceful strokes of Japanese calligraphy. Lao Lianben’s Obliteration 2, on the other hand, shows the artist’s reverence for Japan’s aesthetic concept of finding beauty in both refinement (miyabi) and imperfections (wabi-sabi).

From the younger generation, Andres Barrioquinto’s compositions feature elements and some stylistic flourishes characteristic of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints that remained popular in 17th to the 19th century Japan while Yeo Kaa’s paintings show her leanings toward the kawaii aesthetic.

Looking at how we’ve embraced Japanese culture through the years, it seems like an enduring friendship that would continue for more generations to come.