The Pinoy invasion

UNKNOWN to many Japanese, there is an ongoing invasion in Japan, an invasion that will spell the difference between shabu shabu and dinuguan on the dinner table.

As more and more Filipinas -- mostly entertainers -- intermarry with the locals, it isn’t too long until doorbell-sounding names like Bong Nakamura or Ding Dong Yamashita will fill registries at city halls. It could even be happening surreptitiously as you’re reading this column.

In an interview with PHILIPPINES TODAY (March 2002 issue), Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon, Jr. noted that there are as much as 5,000 to 7,000 Filipino-Japanese marriages per year. If these couples bear an average of 3 offspring, that would be 21,000 nikkeijins or Japinoys entering the local population, he said.

Since this trend has been going on for more than two decades, there are potentially 500,000 Japanese of Filipino descent amongst the natives – and counting. One Japanese Catholic priest predicts that in 50 years, half of all Japanese will have Filipino relatives, while a bulk of Filipinos back home will also have Japanese kin here.

This forecast is very realistic, especially considering the stats published in last month’s issue. According to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, of the 120,707 entertainers that entered Japan in 2001, roughly 60 percent or 72,230 are Filipinos. The remaining 40 percent is divided among 10 or more countries.

If even only half of these attractive, talented and malambing ladies find Japanese husbands, that would be around 30,000 mixed marriages in the next few years. And as the good ambassador surmised, three offspring per couple would mean 210,000 cute Japinoys joining the gene pool as quickly as we can say “kampai!”

If you ask me, we are doing Japanese society a big favor, more so with their dwindling and aging population. Each time I hang around Benny’s store here in Tsukuba, there would be at least one or two Filipino housewives coming in to buy groceries with children in tow. And boy, these women are some of the most beautiful and attractive I’ve ever seen, and their kids, who are half-Filipino, half-Japanese, are the cutest ever. If you ask me where many of our beautiful women are, they’re here in Japan, no doubt.

While there are exceptions, the typical Japanese, whether male or female, is often cold, distant and unromantic. In contrast, however, Japanese children with at least one Filipino parent -- as I have clearly observed -- are more considerate, loving and caring. Most probably, kindness is in our genes, and we tend to overtly express this love and care to our spouses and children. No wonder Pinays are a truly hot sell!

On the downside, some of these marriages aren’t made in heaven, as one priest observed. In an article published in PINOY GAZETTE (August 25 issue), Fr. Michael Yamagashira, a Manila-based Japanese Catholic priest who provides counseling to Japanese-Filipino couples, said that 99 percent of the unions he had officiated had failed. I don’t know if this speaks more about the nature of his counseling or the nature of the unions.

According to him, the Japanese men who had come to his office are between 40 and 70 years old and more than 70 percent of them are divorced. The Pinays are single and in their 20’s. Undoubtedly, whether the union is mixed or not, a marriage between a 70-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman is bound to have serious issues. And considering that most of these men are divorced speaks of a history of failed marriages, which is often used as an excuse for screwing up the relationship once more. Moreover, Fr. Michael found that none of the Japanese men spoke English while the Filipino women had to adjust to the language gap. He noted, however, that Filipinos in general are gifted in language assimilation.

Filipinos, in general, are gifted. Period! And our entertainers are not only talented, they are also considered lovelier, friendlier and more warm compared to Thai, Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean women. Many Japanese men fall for them at first sight. And given that Nihonjins find it harder to marry their own ladies, who prefer career and money over a stifling relationship, Filipinas prove to be a better alternative, as they serendipitously discover.

If the current trend persists, our country’s rich and vibrant culture will eventually seep through and enrich Japan’s. Patis, daing and bagoong will be found in local supermarkets; barong tagalog will become an accepted formal attire; and Christmas in Japan, which is no different than Semana Santa, will begin in September with carols in the air and endless parties to bulk you up for next year’s diet. As Ambassador Siazon quipped in our interview, “we’ll still conquer the world!”

Who knows, next time you visit your neighborhood 7-11, balut will be on sale.

Hmmmm, yumyum…..itadakimasu! *

Back to top

You may email the author at butch@philippinestoday.net