HOPING to provide decent and convenient lives for their families, hundreds of Filipinos have flocked to Japan. Evidently, many Filipino migrants in the Land of the Rising Sun have provided a better future for their loved ones. Today, more than 200,000 Filipinos residing in Japan are working in various fields including entertainment, sports and even transportation. But in a land where everything is new and foreign, how do Filipinos survive and strive to become successful?
This Saturday, GMA Network answers these questions as it takes viewers to the world of Filipinos abroad with the special travel documentary Mundo ni Juan…sa Japan!
Together with Kapuso actress Iya Villania-Arellano, Mundo ni Juan travels around famous landmarks in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya while getting to know some Filipinos who are making a difference today in Japan.
Mundo ni Juan kicks off with a quick tour of Japan’s center of commerce and technology–Tokyo. The special visits Tokyo’s Shibuya District, where tourists can find the famous statue of the loyal dog Hachiko, as well as the biggest and busiest pedestrian crossing in the world.
Despite Tokyo’s modern technology and fast-paced life, viewers will be surprised to find the serene place of Yanaka where some temples, shrines, old wooden homes and food strips are situated.
The special also visits the Eiffel Tower-inspired Tokyo Tower, the Pokemon Center and the so-called land of cosplay–Harajuku Station.
Filipinos abound in Tokyo. One of them is is Abby Watabe, former Filipina entertainer turned entrepreneur. Tagged as the Pinay Cinderella, Abby, who hails from Tarlac, now owns more than 100 karaoke branches in Japan.
Pinay jazz singer Marlene dela Peña, meanwhile, has been a resident of Tokyo for more than three decades. Despite the success of her numerous albums and concerts, Marlene keeps her feet grounded. She remains active in charity and community projects for the less fortunate children in the Philippines.
Mundo ni Juan also visits Survivor castaway Suzuki Sadatsugu. Discover the reasons behind Suzuki’s return to Japan after his short showbiz stint. Get to know Filipino-Japanese Maryjun Takahashi, who played the role of Yumi Komogata in the film Rurouni Kenshin.
In Osaka, Mundo ni Juan takes viewers to the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum, which was built in 1994 as a tribute to the legendary Japanese Manga artist Osamu Tezuka, the man behind the legendary Japanese characters loved by Filipinos including Astroboy.
Among the cities in Japan, Nagoya seems to be closer to the hearts of many Filipinos because it houses The Filipino Migrants Center led by Filipina Virgie Ishihara. The center started after Virgie met a woman seeking for help after she was abused by her Japanese husband. Today, the Filipino Migrants Center has helped resolve hundreds of domestic violence and other cases faced by Filipino migrants in Japan.
Produced by GMA News and Public Affairs and in partnership with Japan FM Network (JFN), discover the famous landmarks and Filipinos in the Land of the Rising Sun in Mundo ni Juan…sa Japan! on Saturday, March 21 right after Celebrity Bluff on GMA7. (PR)