How Do They Do That?

Ini esai yang dibuat Raka untuk Kumon Indonesia. Topiknya tentang Jepang.

In Japan, there is the Harajuku method of dressing. But, how could Kimono last there? Amongst the increasing quantities of Animes and games, how on earth did the Noh theater continues with great response and vast audiences? While baseball is becoming more and more popular, how did sumo stayed afloat? Also, when western culture and way of life is adopted everywhere, how could the local customs last? And when fast food is becoming increasingly more popular, how can sushi and teriyaki stay on top? These questions are the matters to discuss in this article.
Harajuku, fast food, anime, and baseball are either the result of globalization and/or the Western world influence, altough it was the great desire of the Japanese to set a trend that moves them. But, if we look at Japan’s past we would be quite bamboozled to know that Japan used to have a very asocial and full-of-secrecy behaviour. So, when did this Westernization started?
You see, Japan used to be a feudal and asocial country controlled by Tokugawa Shoguns. But in the 1850’s, the Western nations, who is eager to trade with Japan, forced the nation to open its borders in the Kanagawa treaty. This action dispossessed the Shoguns in a coup d’etat, restoring the power of the emperor. And so, Prince Mutsuhito takes the throne, becoming the new emperor and took the name “Meiji”, which means “enlightened rule”. Under this new emperor, Japan began their westernization. The Japanese adopts the Western technology and clothing, artilleries and commercial ways in an action similar to those of Peter the Great, the tsar of Russian empire in the 1700’s. And by the 20th century, Japan has become one of the world’s major powers.
But, the first question still haunts us, “How could the culture of the indigenous Japan survive amidst the globalization and westernization?” I found the answer from a blog I found in Google. The writer of the article noted the Japanese history first. The writer said that the Samurais of Japan also has a task of educating Japanese childrens. In this education, the spirit to progress, love to their country, and pride for the Japanese culture are among the matters given. This spirit still remained in the hearts of Japanese people, altough no specific explanations were given on how the samurais teach the childrens. For the Japanese, its not the physical appearance that matters, its morality that holds the highest price and value. They always maintain good relationships with other peoples. They also have a need for achievement planted strongly in their hearts, which is a thing that triggers their spirit to progress. That’s why Japanese people are very balanced, they already have a strong mental basis.
Now I’ll give my own point of view. I agreed with the writer that the pride of Japanese people helps them to protect their culture. The enormous importance of morality also have some influence in here. Why? Because this behaviour, of course, would require politeness to others and respect to the elders. And, it’s a custom, so the family would obviously adopt it, and unquestionably, the parents would practise those customs to the children who will eventually do it based on the example set by their parents, thus making the children a very balanced person. Polite, but still fashionable.
Another thing is that the elders or anybody who has more knowledge on Japanese tradition promotes the tradition frequently, thus maintaining the popularity and recognition of the culture. The creativity of the Japanese in combining traditions with technology also holds a price. As an example, In a television report, I saw the combining of technology and tradition in the Japanese world. The caterpillars whose silk is used as base for the kimono dress, apparently produced something different from silk and by technology, this “other production” can be used as a medicine. Why does this holds a price? Actually, I know that technology and gadgets is a common hobby for teenagers. If it weren’t a hobby, why would many teenager magazines comment about gadgets? To be precise, the “tradition meets technology” act (that’s how I call it) the Japanese adults and knowledged peoples do increases the interests of peoples, especially teenagers, about traditions and avoids the “oldies” stereotype of local cultures amongst the Japanese, which maintains the culture.
But now, another big question appears. Can we do the same thing in Indonesia? Can we make the teenagers and childrens of Indonesia proud of their own culture? Because, the signs that we are “reckless” in protecting our identity are beginning to show, especially after the continouous disputes with the Malaysians who claims that our tradition is theirs.
But of course, some of us may persist, “The Japanese already have strong mentality of pride, we don’t have it!”. Actually, we already have a strong basis of pride. Our ancestors, who fought the Dutchs in the colonization era must have “infected” those kinds of pride to their descendants. The problem is, if in Japan the family is in an advantageous condition of building pride, almost all families in Indonesia does exactly the opposite (I’m not saying it as all, because some families, including mine, always encourages love and pride to my country and culture.) by buying lots of import goods with cliché reasons that indicates dislikeness of their own country, whether it is related to quality, glamor, etc. Some more “scary” families even stereotyped local traditions as “country-ish”. This attitude should be changed. By? By encouraging the childrens to love their country and pride their culture, making us a balanced country like Japan. Take them as a role model, and, don’t be afraid to learn to them.



Name of Author : Raka Ibrahim Anshafarie
Grade : 7th Grade
Age : 11 Years Old
School : SAnDi KerLiP