Japanese city seeks to revive ancient ties with RP, SE Asia

SAKAI, Japan -- Nineteen-year-olds Grace Ann Dominguez and Kristine Cambay stand before a classroom full of Japanese sixth graders at a public school in Sakai, Japan. “Who among you would like to learn how to ride a jeepney?" they ask the children in Nihonggo. A series of hands shoot up. The two Filipinas invite the students' male teacher, who has been patiently watching from the back of the classroom, to sit in a chair and pretend to drive a steering wheel. They then ask around 20 eager students to come line up in two rows behind the “jeepney driver." Voila! Instant imaginary jeepney.

Grace and Kristine, both third-year Japanese studies majors at the De La Salle University-Taft Campus, are among 10 college students from various Southeast Asian countries sponsored by the Sakai City government to serve as minkantaishi or “cultural ambassadors" between their home countries and the city's residents. Sakai City is a Japanese city of 840,000 residents located just outside of Osaka. Over the course of two weeks, the students visit local elementary schools to give presentations about about their home country's language and culture. They also immerse themselves in Japanese lifestyle by living with a local family. Other minkantaishi include university students from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The program is one of the flagship activities of the Sakai ASEAN Week, a two-week long cultural exchange program between Sakai City and ASEAN member countries. “It's kind of a big responsibility because you have to really watch your actions. You represent your country and the (Japanese students) would get their first impressions of what the Philippines is because of you," said Grace, who had never been to Japan before this trip. When the kids grow up, they may associate the Philippines with these charming visitors who told them about the cute public transportation begun in the wreckage of World War II. And when these Japanese-speaking Filipinas eventually become diplomats, travel professionals, or businesswomen with influence, they will remember this obscure city with large ambitions. Sakai City officials hope that cultural exchanges with other countries will create international awareness of the city and eventually pave the way for invigorating trade with Southeast Asian nations, an emerging bloc in the global economy. Now on its second year, the Sakai City ASEAN Week has gathered not only Japanese language students but also television, print, and online journalists (including two from GMANews.TV) from around Southeast Asia to learn about Sakai. Other activities during the two-week program include a showcase of traditional dancing, food, and music from different ASEAN nations, visits to some of Sakai's famous tourist spots, and an open forum at a local university. “It looks like Sakai ASEAN Week is a cultural exchange program. However, we hope it will lead us to… having greater economic cooperation between Sakai and your countries," Sakai City Mayor Osami Takeyama told Southeast Asian journalists at a press conference held last Tuesday at the Sakai City Hall. He added that Sakai is also the only Japanese city to have established its a department dedicated solely to fostering cooperation with ASEAN region. But it may be a while before Sakai City can reap the returns of their investment. Sakai City, which is located just outside Osaka, is little known outside of Japan and often overshadowed by larger and more flamboyant Japanese cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Yet the port city of Sakai has a long history of trade with Southeast Asia. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Sakai City was home to some of the wealthiest merchants in Japan, many of whom traded wares sourced from Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines. Legend has it that one famous Sakai-based trader named Naya Sukezaemon became so wealthy selling pottery from the Philippine Island of Luzon that he eventually changed his name to Luzon Sukezaemon. The city's efforts to revive its ties with the region is an attempt to reclaim its past glory. "Luzon Sukezaemon was a symbol of the golden days in Sakai. I really hope that the children of Sakai will become the second or third Luzon Sukezaemon in the future," said Mayor Takeyama. It may be possible. After all, the city does have assets of which it can be proud. It's home to nearly a million people and is a major center for manufacturing. Among its top products are metal cutlery, incense, and bicycles. It's the birthplace of Shimano Industries, the world's leading bicycle components manufacturer. Some experts in international relations see the program as a sign that the Japanese are seeking new strategies for staying competitive in the global economy as developing nations like those in ASEAN emerge as leaders. Japan, which was at the top of its economic game during the 1980s, has been in recession for more than a decade and was recently overtaken by China as the world's second largest economy. Dr. Julio Teehankee, chairman of the International Studies department at De La Salle University, a participant in Sakai ASEAN Week, says that “ASEAN as an economic bloc has been the subject of courtship by both China and Japan," and that “Japan is trying to find its relevance on the global stage."