Getting Closer to Japanese Culture through Tech Media Talk

The Communication program of BINUS UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL in collaboration with the Japan Foundation presented Tech Media Talk: ’Japan from My Viewfinder’ on Tuesday, January 24, at BINUS FX campus, Senayan, Jakarta. Ahmad Fuadi, the author of best-selling book ‘Negeri 5 Menara’, BINUS lecturer, and Cultural Leader Program Fellow 2016 of the Japan Foundation, was invited as guest speaker.

At this talk, Ahmad Fuadi shared his experiences and impressions of Japanese culture, religion, and people. One of the topics that was discussed was the Japanese Self-Defense Force. The Self-Defense Force is the result of Japan’s policy whereby they, unlike other countries, refuse to be involved in conflicts, choose to defend passively, and promise to not fight in wars after World War II.

Ahmad also discussed the implementation of Japanese culture in other countries. According to Ahmad, implementing the good values is possible as long as it is not intended to change the whole culture.

“We can adopt some values like the discipline and awareness of safety. However, it is more like a personal commitment,” he said.

A Fulbright scholar, Ahmad parlayed his formative years at an Islamic boarding school into his celebrated first novel, ‘Negeri 5 Menara’ (The Land of Five Towers), which sold more than 100,000 copies in its first year of release. ‘The Land of Five Towers’ has also been adapted into a feature film.

He was featured at book fairs and book festivals such like Frankfurt Book Fair, Byron Bay Writers Festival in Australia, and Ubud Writers Festival. He is the founder of Komunitas Menara, an organization to help unfortunate children to get free access to early childhood education.He was a resident writer in Bellagio Center, Italy and an artist-in-residence at University of California,Berkeley, and UK Alumni Award winner 2016.

He visited Japan last October under the Invitation Program for Cultural Leaders organized by the Japan Foundation Asia Center and went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Oosaka, and Hiroshima. During his stay in Japan, he got opportunities to visit many cultural places and Japanese universities.

(ERON)