Tag: Japanese Culture

Japan’s Obsession: Sustainable Development Goals (S.D.Gs)

For the past three years Japan has been obsessed with Sustainable Development Goals or S.D.Gs for short. Businessmen and civil servants proudly adorn their lapels with their S.D.Gs badges, the Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has encouraged the national education system to incorporate S.D.Gs into the curriculum and general school life, and TV shows and commercial advertisements highlight their S.D.Gs “commitment”. In fact according to a poll by Dentsu, 90 percent of those surveyed were aware of the goals.

So what are S.D.Gs? Founded by the United Nations back in 2015, Sustainable Development Goals are “a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity” according to the United Nations Development Programme. With 17 interconnected goals and 169 specific targets, the initiative represents a global agreement for all 192 UN member states to commit to a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for the people and the planet now and into the future”.

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Japan and the Graduation Ceremony

It’s that time of the year again, graduation season. My school’s teachers have been running around, holding endless meetings and making last minute adjustments in preparation for one of the most important events of the Japanese academic calendar. 

Like last year, the city’s education board has decided to limit the “potential risks” of a normal graduation ceremony in light of the COVID-19 situation. The result has been a heavily stripped, but no less slog of an event. The first and second graders will no longer attend the ceremony. Meanwhile, aside from the national and school anthems, there won’t be a final choral performance from the third grade. Even the traditional handing of flowers to graduates during their final school “march” has been scrapped. 

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Genuinely Good Japanese TV : Midnight Diner

A target of ridicule on the internet and a frequent punching bag for expats, watching Japanese TV is, to put it lightly, an “experience”. I too winced at the idea of watching more than 5 minutes. But I’ve since found it a rather useful resource for learning Japanese and finding out what’s popular in Japan. My cultural journey hasn’t been a smooth one, yet amongst the headache-inducing variety shows and the numerous saccharine J-Dramas, there are some genuine hidden gems. 

Here’s one: 

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