Japan and playing god

More than their country or modern infrastructure, it’s the Japanese people who’ve made Japan one of the few countries that’s left an ineradicable, lasting good impression on me. The high value they place on respect and their innate predisposition to discipline and order are traits I find most endearing about them; these have made them among my most favorite people in the world, if not, my most favorite, next to the Filipino, of course.

 I have a lot of good memories about Japan (their Crown Prince, Naruhito, is the first monarch I’ve ever met—I was presented to him in his palace back in 2007). But what I always remember and share with friends when the topic of Japan comes up are the observations I’ve made during my travels there. My observations are a dime-a-dozen, and are practically shared by everyone who visits the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’: The Japanese are among the most honest, disciplined and decent human beings on the planet.

 I clumsily left the phone (a quad band one) I had rented at the airport at the Shinkansen, the bullet train and the world’s busiest high-speed rail line, while traveling to Tokyo from one of the prefectures outside the capital. I was ready to slash $500 off my pocket money to pay the penalty (had I not been stingy and availed of the $15 insurance, I wouldn’t have had any more problems) when I was told, to my shock and awe, that someone had handed it over to the office at the train station. Now try leaving your cellphone at the LRT or MRT or a taxi cab here and what do you think are the chances of someone returning it? I’m sure there are quite a number of Filipinos out there who would, but c’mon, chances are really rather slim.

This experience, along with many other traits the Japanese are known for as a people (even committing hara-kiri is founded on honor), their impeccable sense of professionalism and work ethic, the quiet dignity almost all of them possess—these are reasons why I have so much respect and admiration for the Japanese. The aftermath of the triple whammy that’s hit them (quake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis) has reinforced and fortified further the respect I have for them, that in the face of adversity and seemingly insurmountable challenges, they have shown only the strongest of character.

Not forgetting the sins of their past, but I am not one to punish a generation for the crimes committed by its fathers or forefathers. Then again, the Japanese have tried very hard to rectify the faults of their previous generation and have become a global leader and voice for peace, mutual understanding, and cooperation.

 One lesson that could be had though is that whatever the power one person or country wields, everyone will always be at the mercy of a force more powerful than any energy known to man. Remember the rationale behind the ‘god particle’ in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons? We have long since promoted ourselves from being mere stewards of creation to wannabe immortals, playing god every chance we get.

Mighty Japan, one of the most advanced societies in terms of technology, economy and power sources, has been reduced to a weakling trying to make out what in the world hit it! We’ve seen parts of it wiped out in seconds; water and fire destroying even one of the most modern sources of energy in the First World.

Goes to show that even as we play god, there is someone whose job description is to really be god. And that whether we’re in a state of victory or defeat, strength or weakness, glory or shame, in our best or worst, whatever He wills for us, happens.

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Tonight on The Bottomline with Boy Abunda: Cebu’s very own Governor Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia guests on the show’s very first out-of-town episode to answer questions on her political future, the so-called Garcia power bloc, and other issues—personal and political—surrounding her leadership.

Watch it after Banana Split on ABS-CBN. Encore telecast on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Sunday, 1:00 pm.

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