The Philippines
and Japan had a tumultuous relationship in the past. Japan occupied the Philippines
during the Second World War from 1942 until 1945. This led to a lot of
destruction and death in the country and the devastation of the Philippine
economy. After the war, the relationship between the countries started to
normalize and diplomatic and economic ties were re-established. On July 23,
1956, the Philippine Senate ratified the Reparations Agreement between Japan
and the Republic of the Philippines. Because of this, the bilateral ties of the
Philippines and Japan have grown in warmth, mutual respect, and solidarity. (Diplomatic relations between
the Philippines and Japan, n.d.) On July 23, 2006,
the first Philippine-Japanese Friendship day was celebrated to mark the 50th
anniversary or the Golden Jubilee of the normalization of diplomatic relations
between the Philippines and Japan. This year marks the 9th year of
the Philippine-Japanese Friendship Day.
In the past, the
Philippine-Japanese friendship day has been celebrated differently by people
all over the country. On 2012, the Capitol University of Cagayan de Oro also celebrated
the Philippine-Japanese Friendship Day. They conducted a Japanese quiz bee and
a Japanese song singing contest. Four Japanese students from Soka University
attended the event. (Philippines-Japan Friendship
Day, n.d.)
Last year, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines had a month-long celebration
of the Philippine-Japanese friendship. They held a Japanese film festival, the
Eiga Sai, in three different places – Manila, Cebu, and Davao. The theme of the
festival was “family.” The films warmed the moviegoers’ hearts and made them laugh
and cry. They also had a J-Pop Anime Singing and Dance Contest. The contestants
showcased their talents to fellow Japanophiles. (Enjoy the Month
of July by Celebrating Philippines-Japan Friendship Month! , 2014)
This year, to join
in the celebration and to commemorate this special occasion, the IRFS 141
(Special Topics in International Relations) class had their own event within
the confines of JW440. The students
decorated the classroom with a Japanese-inspired theme – with colorful paper
flowers dominating the decorations. To kick off the event, the students gave a
bit of background about the relationship of Japan and the Philippines. The
students then discussed the history of the Philippine-Japanese Friendship Day.
They also talked about Japanese and Philippine culture and their similarities
and differences. The students also talked about how Japanese culture has
influenced the Philippines – zeroing in particularly to the anime and manga
invasion that is happening in the country. They further discussed about the
sister-city relations between the two countries. They also mentioned the security
issues that both Japan and the Philippines share – specifically, about the
territorial disputes that they both have with China. To make the celebration
more enjoyable, the class partook in Japanese and Japanese-influenced food like
sushi, takoyaki and Japanese siomai. Japanese snacks and candies were also
served.
It was an
afternoon of learning about Japan and celebrating the ties that bind it to the
Philippines. In the end, Atty. Archill Capistrano, IRFS track adviser and IRFS
141 teacher, considered the event a success – a happy Philippine-Japanese
Friendship Day indeed. 511
Diplomatic
relations between the Philippines and Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Official Gazette: http://www.gov.ph/diplomatic-relations/ph-jp/
Enjoy the Month of
July by Celebrating Philippines-Japan Friendship Month! . (2014, July 04). Retrieved
from Embassy of Japan in the Philippines:
http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/pressandspeech/press/pressreleases/2014/52.html
Philippines-Japan
Friendship Day. (n.d.). Retrieved from Capitol University:
http://www.cu.edu.ph/?page_id=4009
Nice account notwithstanding the very late post.
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