By: Atty. Marlo T. Cristobal
My wife and l again arrived here in Japan last December 15 to join our son, Banat By (Byron, who arrived much earlier) to spend our Christmas holidays which we have been doing for the last 4 years. Our other son, Coach Oli (Oliver) and his daughter, will be arriving, too, to join us, but our last child, Audrey, our unica hija, can no longer spend Christmas with us this time because she has joined, what she thinks as, her more exciting companion, her American husband in, of all places, Tennessee, the land of my singing idol, the persistent object of idolizing impersonation in the music world, seemingly for centuries to come — Elvis Presley.
Last time l proffered the observation (Catalyst, November 3, 2024) that Japan exhibits a contradiction that makes it a nirvanic place to visit or live in. For while admittedly an atheist country, l stated therein, “it’s people are incredibly predominantly honest, polite and strikingly helpful, ironically, the very basic values and unquestionably the hallmarks of Christianity.”
What strikes me in our current stay in Japan that l failed to notice in our previous visits, is the country’s obvious attempt to adopt Christian virtues but in a manner stripped of any dimension of Christian spirituality. Since we arrived on December 15 (and will stay beyond my birthday in January 2025), we have gone daily to various shopping malls and stores, restaurants and coffee bars and the single music records they all played were Christmas songs, nothing else, in a variety of tempo, ballad, blues, rock, hip hop, you name it. Imagine, when one time l went to a comfort room to give way to my person’s habitual fast and furious grunt, (and made more frequent and vicious under Japan’s breezy zero-degree centigrade weather), l heard an old Frank Sinatra godly Christmas song record piped in through that god-awful place. Also as we go out of our hotel with our very thick winter clothes and paraphernalia that almost weigh a kilo yet still incapable of facing the challenge of the searing cold outside, we are met regularly at the lobby with a lively Christmas song, that evokes in me a strong Christmas spirit and the psyche of Hollywood movies depicting a scenario of people walking toward hotel or building in a background of merry Christmas music. This playing of Christmas songs records far and wide Japan, with no other musical piece, gives me the suspicion that this is a government or official policy for a secular, smart, motive. Consequently, even in the prominent absence here of Christmas lights and decorations and Christmas trees typical in the Philippines, l hardly miss in Japan our country’s Christmas’ joyful emotions. For here, we have this powerful Christmas music so pervasive and uniformly present in all business establishments. After all, is not music the language of the soul, and thus piercing?Â
Now comes the crux of my message, Japan, though mainly an atheist, rigidly adheres to the Christian doctrines of honesty, genteel disposition, love for neighbors, and self-discipline, but in a style bereft of the Christian spirituality. The Japanese secularly take to heart these virtues which, l firmly believe, were the very underlying driving forces that brought them political and social maturity and blinding economic growth and expansion. The very reasons, too, they have enviable clean environment and sustained state of peace and order.
Let’s take Japan, a very close Asian neighbor which is just about 5-hour flight away, a role model for our country. A sure way to accomplish this is by transforming ourselves as authentic, not just ceremonial, Christians.
And for those corrupt in the government service or guilty of shameful acts therein, let’s look up to the Japanese culture for an ideal or good model, an exemplary code of honor: they must do the hara-kiri, the seppuku, to restore their family’s honor and the country’s glory!
Only then and then can we have a fighting chance to attain Japan’s staggering and formidable progress!
To all my readers: Merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
