Shining the light on Japanese ama culture

Grapevine talk has it that the best Japanese restaurant in Metro Manila is the residence of the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, thanks to Japanese executive chef Suzuki Daisuke.

I’ve long confirmed the rumor to be true, having attended several events in the past, and again just recently for the Conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette upon Dr. Cynthia Neri Zayas by H.E. Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.

But this piece isn’t really about my gastronomic adventure, although it is fitting to mention Chef Suzuki’s cooking because the dinner capped the beautiful evening of Dr. Zayas’ conferment; most guests lingered well into the night, enjoying a smorgasbord of Japanese cuisine – kani salad, braised pork & potatoes, chirashizushi and many more.

Indeed, it was a special occasion celebrating the work of Dr. Zayas, the Philippines’ leading maritime anthropologist and former director of the UP Diliman Center for International Studies.

The award recognizes Dr. Zayas’ contributions in promoting Japanese culture and society through research.

An alumni of the Japanese Government Scholarship Program, Dr. Zayas earned her masteral and doctoral degrees in Japan. She collaborated with Japanese anthropologists in pioneering maritime anthropological studies in the Philippines.

Her deep research on the cultures of disasters and free women divers, or ama, in Japan have deepened understanding of Japanese society worldwide.

Dr. Zayas found several similarities between Japan’s ama culture and the Philippines’ fishing culture; for one, Japan’s sea women and Philippine fishers tend to wander on a seasonal basis to find work away from home, according to an article on Asia Research.

And yet it wasn’t work for her, she said in her acceptance speech, “but a source of immense pleasure and joy.”

In the fishing villages of Japan, she experienced the ordinary lives of Japanese people – from slicing steamed sweet potatoes to dry for winter and cleaning and drying kusaya, a pungent fermented fish, among others.

In his congratulatory message, Amb. Koshikawa lauded Dr. Zayas’ extensive intellectual endeavors for promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture in the Philippines and worldwide.

“Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Zayas has made a multitude of scholarly contributions that have greatly advanced Japanese maritime anthropology and folklore studies in the Philippines,” said the ambassador who, by the way, looked really dapper in his Barong Tagalog.

Luminaries from the University of the Philippines

In a strong show of support, University of the Philippines president Atty. Angelo “Jijil” Jimenez, whom I met for the first time, and UP Diliman Chancellor Atty. Edgardo Carlos Vistan II, my batch mate from Diliman Class of ’98, lent honor to the evening with their mighty presence.

UP prexy Jijil led the toast:

“Just as the seas transcend human-made borders to touch each of our shores, just as the Japanese ama and our Filipino divers explore the depths to harvest sustenance and beauty, so do scholars like Dr. Zayas explore the depths of history and create oceans of knowledge that cross boundaries and establish unbreakable paths between us. May we do all we can to protect and support these communities and the scholars who study them and may our future generations learn all that these communities have to teach us about our two nations, our two cultures and our shared future.

“For this, kampai! Mabuhay!”

And then the sound of clinking champagne glasses filled the air. There’s really more than enough reasons to celebrate. After all, Dr. Zayas’ work in maritime anthropological studies is a source of pride not just of UP but of the Philippines and Japan.

Congratulations to Dr. Zayas and immense gratitude to the Japanese Government for recognizing the work of Filipinos like her.

Tito, Vic and Joey, VIPs celebrate MVP’s birthday

Friday’s heavy downpour and ‘carmageddon’ didn’t stop family, friends and business associates of Manuel V. Pangilinan or MVP from attending the tycoon’s big bash at the Meralco headquarters, to celebrate his 77th birthday.

Spotted during the event, say my sources, were tycoon Alfred Ty, PLDT president Al Panlilio, GT Capital chairman Francisco Sebastian, Greggy and Irene Araneta, Metro Pacific CFO Chaye Revilla, our Philippine STAR boss Miguel Belmonte and his lovely wife Milette, MVP Group’s Mike Toledo, Metro Pacific’s Melody del Rosario and many more.

Tycoon Ramon “RSA” Ang, who has always been pitted against MVP because of their competing businesses, was there, too, proving that friendship trumps competition.

So yes, the rumor is true – MVP and RSA really are friends, after all, thanks to their common love for basketball. It was last year when they joined forces to form the strongest possible Gilas Pilipinas Squad.

Aside from the tycoons and executives, there’s also the comedy trio Tito, Vic and Joey, the new residents of MVP’s TV5.

What’s in a name?

But of course, the night was really about MVP who, in his birthday speech, shared stories about his life, including a funny anecdote about his name.

His original birth certificate, he confessed, had his first name not as Manuel but Raphael. The other problem was that the middle initial that was written was not V. for Velez but I, for Inocencio, which was his mother’s second name. Thus, it was “Raphael I. Pangilinan.”

“So if that were to subsist to this day, my initials would not have been ‘MVP’ but ‘RIP’,” said Pangilinan to the laughter of the crowd.

Of course, his parents wouldn’t allow it. “MVP” is certainly more auspicious and the corporate tycoon’s success story is clearly a testament to that.

Happy birthday, MVP!

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.