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Japanese
culture takes Singapore by storm
Other
Asian countries are catching the fever too
By Carol Tan
The
influx of Japanese culture is not a new phenomenon. I recall
seeing
weird people clad in heavy dresses
and
hearing unfamiliar pronunciation on the television as a
little girl. That was it though. These days, Japanese pop
culture takes on a more dynamic and multi-dimensional form.
The one thing that has remained unchanged is the way it
lures unsuspecting people with its exoticness.
Here in Singapore, the public gets most of its contact with
the Japanese
culture through the entertainment media. The days when Japanese music albums occupied only an obscure corner of the
local music store are gone. It is no longer uncommon to see
retailers devote a good-sized floor area to what is the
fastest-growing music type here. We count artistes such as
Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, Aikawa Nanase, SMAP, Glay,
L'arc-en-Ciel and the now-defunct Speed as some of the
hottest-selling stars and, not surprisingly, the market is
constantly introduced to young and new faces keen on making
their marks in Asia.
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 The
ironic thing is, most of the young people who listen to this
music hardly know a word of Japanese at all. It really doesn't
bother them. The main attraction of Japanese pop music (also
known as J-pop) has always been its catchy tunes and
tongue-twisting lyrics that can be rather easy to pick
up. |
Japanese films
and drama serials are also taking a big share of the
pie. The biggest television station
in Singapore devotes a fraction of their air time to popular
Japanese serials like Bus Station, Beach Boys and Under One
Roof. I recall the time when the mega production, Love 2000,
was scheduled to be premiered in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan
and Japan concurrently. The promotion was unbelievable! At the
same time, a complete drama serial can also be bought in the
form of VCDs or DVDs from stores inexpensively, which gives
the public access to lesser-known shows that the TV station
doesn't air.
(Related: iPod
docking station)
Japanese movies in Asia
Hong Kong may
be the Hollywood of the East but Japanese films do not pale in
comparison. I know of many people who appreciate the intensity
of Japanese films that action-packed Hong Kong films fail to
offer. For instance, the reception to the Japanese horror
movie, The Ring, was overwhelming and despite being shown only
in Japanese, it managed to draw a good audience during its run
in cinemas here.
Another trend
which sprouted up in heartlands here not too long ago is the
opening of manga shops. These shops bank in on the
long-time popularity of Japanese comics by offering a dazzling
array of titles. The public can either purchase these books
and enjoy them at home or pay a small fee of between $0.50 to
$1.00 and read on the spot at the seats provided. Clever
entrepreneurs have even started manga cafes where one
can read a good comic book over some nice coffee.
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And speaking of
animation,
cartoon series from Japan have always taken center
stage alongside
Disney productions. These days, Saturday and
Sunday television belong to Pokemon and the hugely popular
Pikachu and not Mickey Mouse Club. Amidst the
craze for Japanese pop culture, one educational purpose has
surfaced. Language centers and schools are beginning to see an
increase in the number of students who sign up for their
Japanese language classes. While this may not entirely be
attributed to the influence of pop culture, we cannot deny the
fact that most of these new students are teenagers. The
majority of Singaporeans are
Chinese and since the Chinese and
Japanese languages are closely related in origins, there is an
advantage when a Chinese tries to pick up Japanese.
Through the ages, there has always been an attraction with all
things foreign. Had it been the American culture that drives
our kids wild, would we be examining America the way we
examine Japan today?
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