Nihongojin Across the Philippines
2012.11.24 Perfume World Tour 1st in Singapore
2013.05.10 100% KPP World Tour in Singapore
2016.01.19 ONE OK ROCK 2016 "35XXXV" Asia Tour Live in Manila
This was my entry for the recent essay call of The Japan Foundation Manila. I hope you'll appreciate this piece even though I did not win. Thank you so much!
Many Filipinos were exposed to anime as children starting earliest in the 1970s - 1980s. This was when the Marcoses banned the anime “Voltes 5” due to an uprising from Filipino citizens. The anime inspired Filipino citizens to do a peaceful protest against the Philippine government.
Fast forward to the 1990s, many children in this era were exposed to Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series. Most people were also exposed to anime in this era. Personally, I was exposed to anime as early as 10 - 11 years old. Both GMA7 and ABS CBN Channel 2 were airing anime at the same timeslots. Most of us were switching channels so we wouldn’t miss a thing. I remember watching “Cardcaptor Sakura”, “Slamdunk”, “Magic Knight Rayearth”, “Gatekeepers”, “Detective Conan” and “Fushigi Yuugi” among the few of the many anime the local stations got. I was fascinated by watching anime since they bring lessons to the table. I was equally amazed by the music too since I love listening to songs. I was only a silent fan of anime during highschool.
I only became a full-blown fan when I graduated highschool. It was summer (dry season) here in the Philippines in 2007 I became a full-blown fangirl of Japanese dramas, movies, and music. I started researching different artists of J-Pop and also watching Japanese dramas and movies. I also started purchasing J-Pop merchandise by joining LiveJournal communities of different J-Pop artists/idols. I became a fan of KAT-TUN first because of Gokusen and Hana Yori Dango. These two Japanese dramas are too precious to me since this has been my gateway to Japanese Pop Culture and more.
When 2008 came, a group of friends from U.P. Diliman invited my friend and me to a Johnny & Associates idol Filipino fan gathering. This was the start of forging friendships between people from different J-Pop fandoms. They were welcoming and friendly. We watched different Johnny & Associate concerts while eating. We also had games concerning different Johnny’s idols.
In 2009, K-Pop gained popularity among Filipino citizens. It was inevitable that I would become a K-Pop fan too thus I lay low for a while. Thankfully, I found my home once again in J-Pop since this was my ultimate first love of music. There was not a day that I wouldn’t listen to J-Pop. I usually get my treasure trove from different LiveJournal communities. However, most are now inactive since most fans migrated to Dreamwidth or WordPress. It is easier now since we have Spotify already and I am very grateful for that. Most J-Pop artists/idols are now on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube music. However, most Starto Entertainment talents (Johnny & Associates) are not yet on the platform so we are hoping for progress soon.
There are close to no activities for 2011 since Japan was hit by a tsunami. Many artists/idols respected the calamity by canceling their events.
I was only a Johnny and Associate fan from 2007 until 2011. I didn’t bother checking out different artists. But, thank God for Perfume, Miura Haruma, and Sato Takeru that I came to know about Amuse Inc. This was the start of something great in Manila, Philippines! My friends and I created a street team for Amuse Inc. in December 2011. Little did we know that Sato Takeru and the rest of the cast of Rurouni Kenshin will indeed be brought to Manila for their Asian Premiere.
Many good things happened within the street team of Amuse Inc. here in the Philippines. First and foremost, we discussed with different film distributors to see if they could indeed bring the first movie of Rurouni Kenshin here. I would love to think that the petition to bring Rurouni Kenshin to the Philippines was also because of the many people who signed the petition. Bea Mandac, a friend of mine, started it on change.org. We then collected signatures from the Best of Anime Convention 2012 and also online. When it became successful, Warner Bros. Philippines then took the liberty to import the 2nd and 3rd movie installments. The first movie became a hit here in the Philippines. No wonder that the 2nd and 3rd will also be successful. Warner Bros. also successfully brought the main cast, Sato Takeru, Takei Emi, Munetaka Aoki, and Director Otomo Keishi. However, it was sad that I couldn’t make it. I remember being in my pajamas while the event was ongoing in SM Megamall in Manila, Philippines. I was in the US when Warner Bros. brought them here. I handle the social media accounts of Amuse Philippines so Rappler pulled our tweets for their website. I was sobbing with tears of joy as I viewed the livestream event hosted by Rappler. I thank the Philippine government for bestowing all of them as cultural ambassadors since Takeru was inspired to spread love for Japanese Pop Culture. He will have an upcoming Netflix show again which will be available worldwide to view. I’m still grateful even though I didn’t see them. There will surely be a next time.
Coming back to 2012, this was the time I became a Perfume fan. Perfume is an electronic pop trio from Hiroshima Actors School. They started as indie idols in Hiroshima and then transitioned to becoming artists in Tokyo. I became a huge, huge fangirl of these three wonderful women because of their craft, dance, music, visual presentation, and professionalism. I think their very craft is how they handle themselves during performances. Their main target point or huge strength is their dance routines so it’s no secret that they lipsynch. A-chan, their center, can sing live sometimes. KASHIYUKA and NOCCHi can also sing live. However, their microphones are usually lowered down. I have already seen them up close and personal thrice. The first was in Singapore, the second was in Taipei and the third was through the NHK show Songs of Tokyo Festival 2020. There were surreal experiences! I never thought that I could be close to them that much. I was there in the Scape Warehouse when they arrived. I saw them dropping by. The technology behind their performances was breathtaking. I also don’t regret screaming “I love you” to KASHIYUKA. She’s my favorite among the three. She was bewildered! I truly love these girls so much. They’re my inspiration to reach my dreams too.
In 2013, I again attended a J-Pop concert in Singapore. This time was for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu! She was so cute! I also proudly share that I became a Goodwill Ambassador for JENESYS 2.0 under the Japanese Popular Culture - Entertainment Category. As a huge enthusiast for J-Pop, this category perfectly fits me. During that time, I didn’t know what talent could I share. But, I can somehow sing. We visited Tokyo and Fukuoka to be exposed to the Japanese entertainment industry. We visited the NHK headquarters and we also met some aspiring Japanese idols. This was also the time that I attended a ONE OK ROCK concert for the very first time. Again, it was an amazing experience!
Came 2014 onwards, Amuse Philippines became more active. We had several block screenings for Japanese movies and also tribute nights for ONE OK ROCK. Several local Filipino J-Rock-inspired bands were invited to play for the night!
2016 was a very special year for me since I got up close and personal with ONE OK ROCK. I got a chance to take photos with them through the meet-and-greet package of PULP Live World. I got to shake their hands and I was heavily sobbing after taking photos with them. It was an unforgettable experience.
I already attended so many J-Pop and J-Rock concerts. I love to show support to all my favorites since J-Pop and J-Rock are only starting to be known worldwide. I also watch Japanese movies in our local cinemas. I watch anime and live-action films through the annual Japanese Film Festival too which is held by the Japan Foundation Manila.
Also in 2016, this was when I became a fan of Dean Fujioka and Kamishiraishi Mone. I watched Yuri!!! On Ice. The opening theme “History Maker” by Dean Fujioka is very memorable. I also watched the anime “Your Name” on the huge screen. I was mesmerized by the voice of Mitsuha. From then on, I researched Kamishiraishi Mone. I even created a fan account for her and her sister Kamishiraishi Moka.
I’ve seen SPYAIR, Flow, and ONE OK ROCK among many Japanese music artists. Their music saved me. So, I’m grateful for them. My day wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t listen to their music. Their music brightens up my day and they help me understand their culture and language.
I didn’t know the Nihongo language before. But now, I can speak basic Japanese with the help of watching Japanese dramas and movies and also listening to music. I also studied Japanese at the Nihongo Center Foundation in Makati and also at Miriam College. As a Japanese Popular Culture Enthusiast, I spread the love of Japanese Pop Culture through Facebook and X (Twitter). I run fan accounts of my favorite artists such as Perfume, Takei Emi, Kamishiraishi Mone, and Moka. I spread information about them on the internet so people could get to know them more since they deserve the recognition. J-Pop music is now readily available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube so it’s easier to recommend Japanese artists now. Starto Entertainment (Johnny & Associates) is now on the internet so we, international fans, can easily share their music and shows.
I am eternally grateful for my co-fans whom I have met throughout the years. We helped each other in organizing fangatherings and block screenings. It’s also the friendship that matters too. I will continue loving Japanese culture more and more since this is really my burning passion.