Fascination for NIPPON culture lives on
Edoya in Makati Cinema Square, the latest addition to Little Tokyo’s long list of restaurants.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF fb.COM/Edoya
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.
The Philippines has produced award-winning bonsai plants, including this bantique tree trained for 32 years by Philippine Bonsai Society’s past president Bobby Gopiao.
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.
The poster for Voltes V: Legacy, GMA’s adaptation of the Japanese anime whose film edition will debut in Japan this October.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FB/Voltes V: Legacy
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.
