Fujin Bu helps Japanese-Indonesian women connect with their culture

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Nancy Takasaki, the maiden name of Mrs. Krisnawidjaja, prefers to spend her Wednesday mornings folding paper into animal shapes and making washi ningyo, Japanese paper dolls.

With her friends Kiyoe Sitanggang, Endang Tanaka and Lina Simoka, Nancy devotes at least one day between Wednesday and Saturday to Japanese cultural activities, including learning how to produce Japanese handicrafts.

The four, all Indonesians of Japanese descent, are participants in a program called Fujin Bu.

"This program is about doing positive things. The program aims to facilitate housewives, especially those of Japanese descent, in spending their time wisely," said Nancy, the coordinator of the program.

"It's a much better way of spending an afternoon than watching gossip shows or attending arisan social gatherings."

The Fujin Bu program was established under the Yayasan Warga Persahabatan, a foundation that supports people of Japanese descent across the country.

The program was formulated to encourage more women to become involved in the foundation's activities, Nancy said.

"The program was first initiated on April 29, 2000, so that the foundation could maximize the participation of women members," she added.

Fujin Bu, which means "Women's Department", provides an opportunity for women to make good use of their spare time by studying various Japanese traditions, such as the Japanese tea ceremony, origami, making washi, and Japanese shuji calligraphy.

"In this program, we learn together. There's no teacher and there's no student," Kiyoe said.

The women said they learned about almost all Japanese traditions from books or Japanese friends who often visited the foundation's offices in Tebet, South Jakarta.

Nancy said that learning Japanese traditions would teach them the philosophy of that culture.

"For example, washi or origami upholds the principal that nothing should be thrown out. Every single used item can be used to make other things. It teaches us how to live efficiently," she said.

Lina added that despite trying to learn her grandparents' traditions, she also used the program to help her earn extra money.

"I often sell the products we make during the program at school bazaars and they attract a lot of consumers," she said.

Nancy said that she was also looking for opportunities to sell the products they created so they would not be dependent on donors to finance the foundation's activities.

"If more women become involved and more handicrafts are produced, we could sell them and use the money to finance the foundation's social activities," said Nancy, who is also the foundation's treasurer. (006)