Impressions of a Brief Sojourn in JapanEssay by Maximo Tumbali, Forum ContributorForum contributor Maximo Tumbali and members of his immediate family are on a current tour of Japan and, in the essay below, he shares from a distinctly Filipino perspective his immediate impressions of the island-nation’s phenomenal emergence from under the rubble of its abject defeat, devastation, and suffering in the wake of World War II.
As we travel around Japan, what has been riveting our attention are quite a number of enviable things that are sorely missing in our own country the Philippines—clean surroundings, fresh and clean air, easy flow of traffic, people choosing to walk, less predilection for cars, fun use of bicycles by most working men and women; the Japanese people’s spontaneous display of humility, warmth, and hospitality as well as their caring, respect, and courtesy; robust and green forests; a truly unique culture; absence of muggers, ruffians, street urchins, beggars, pickpockets, snatchers, and litterers in the major cities and their environs; and last but not the least, the very efficient public transport system that’s used by almost the whole populace, resulting in less need for private vehicles. All these make Japan a must place to visit and emulate.
Any attempt on our part to compare the Philippines to Japan can be quite embarrassing. The least that we can do is eat our pride and accept the fact that we have so much more to do to improve our country and its image. When we make Japan our point of reference, or better yet make it our standard for comparison, it hurts to realize that our country is left behind or at rock bottom not only in terms of economic progress but—more importantly—in terms of cultural, political, social, and moral progress. This may be a harsh inference, but when made the inference speaks volumes about the sad state of our country.
Japan’s continuing remarkable progress is attributed to its adherence to maintaining a proper balance between material and spiritual cravings. Thus we find that its natural resources are well preserved or taken care of, and the Japanese people’s cultural practices and traditional values are neither forgotten nor thrown away. Quite noticeable among the Japanese people is their innate and their patriotic love of their native language. This may be the reason why most of them don’t seem to have a deep interest in learning a foreign language, say English. It’s no big deal for them to speak crooked or choppy English. They are so unlike us Filipinos, we who find it demeaning to be poor in our English, making it a major obstacle to getting a decent, good paying job in our own country.
Besides its cheerful and amiable people, Japan has a very abundant source of natural beauty that human eyes can feast on: yes, it is indeed so vast that not even a thousand gigantic cameras combined can capture its entire physical, geographical, natural, and ecological pulchritude.
THE AUTHOR WITH SCENIC MT. FUJI BEHIND HIMBut what stands out from all of these sights is the famous Mount Fuji, whose crater looks almost like a majestic-white perfect cone right near the top. It’s truly emblematic of Japan’s rise to progress, power, and popularity—its phenomenal emergence from under the rubble of its abject defeat, devastation, and suffering in the wake of World War II.
