‘Yuza san’ showcases Malaysian culture through Hioki Municipal Council
Like love at first sight, that is how the people of Hioki, a small town located in Kagoshima, describe their fascination with Malaysia’s diverse and vibrant culture and heritage.
Acknowledging that many Japanese people are still unfamiliar with Malaysia and its culture, Yuzairi Abdul Rahim has expressed his desire for more people in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ to learn about the beauty of Malaysian culture and cuisines.
The love for Malaysia among the residents of Hioki blossomed when Yuzairi started working as an international relations officer at the Hioki Municipal Council in August 2023.
Affectionately known as ‘Yuza san’ by Hioki residents, he has visited 30 classes in the town schools during his tenure there and is actively involved in local community events to showcase Malaysian culture.
The native of Kedah introduces Malaysian food such as fried rice, nasi lemak, banana fritters, and curry puffs, as well as traditional dances at local community events by setting up booths.
He also brings along Malaysia’s vibrant traditional attire to introduce them to Japanese children during programmes at elementary schools.
Yuzairi, 41, acknowledges that initially, many Japanese had little knowledge of Malaysian culture, with some even unaware of Malaysia’s existence.
However, after nearly eight months of interaction with people of all ages, there was a growing interest in visiting and experiencing Malaysia firsthand.
“While Malaysians admire Japanese culture, few have the chance to introduce Malaysian culture in depth to the Japanese. The uniqueness of our culture fascinates them.
“It is disappointing that they are more familiar with Singapore and Thailand. Some only know about Malaysia through transits at the airport,” says the father of two to Bernama via WhatsApp.
Yuzairi aims to foster closer ties between Malaysia and Japan by offering Malaysians the opportunity to explore not just Tokyo and Osaka, but also the cultural richness of the rural areas like Hioki.
Intending to bridge and strengthen the relationship between Malaysia and Japan, Yuzairi expresses his desire to provide exposure to Malaysians to explore Japan not only in major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, but also to experience the cultural atmosphere of rural Japan, such as Hioki.
Yuzairi adds that schools in Hioki each has an international exposure curriculum held annually, and the Coordinator for International Relations would plan learning sessions for anyone interested in getting to know the outside world better.
“At first, they were unfamiliar due to limited exposure. However, once acquainted, they truly appreciate and admire aspects like our dining customs.
“Our nation’s perpetual warm climate, Malaysia’s location, and our languages are all very new to them,” he elaborates.
Yuzairi highlights that residents of Hioki have the chance to visit Malaysia biennially, with Hioki City covering 50 per cent of the expenses, with one group scheduled for August this year.
Starting at Yamanashi University in 2002 and continuing to the PhD level, Yuzairi spent four years working as an engineer in Japan before returning to Malaysia as a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Perlis, from 2017 to 2023.
Given his fascination with Japanese culture, Yuzairi seized the opportunity when the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia advertised a position for a foreign relations officer in Hioki.
Fortune favoured him as he was granted the chance to return to Japan in August of last year.
His wife and two children, aged seven and 10 years, are with him in Japan, and his wish is to see his children start school this month.
Yuzairi aspires for his children to master Japanese fluently, immersing themselves in the intricacies of Japanese culture.
Additionally, he hopes to foster a greater affection among Japanese citizens towards Malaysia and its rich cultural heritage.
Yuzairi gained attention when he started sharing his experiences in Hioki through TikTok with a video titled ‘MalaysiaJapan Little International Relations,’ showcasing children enthusiastically embracing Malaysian culture.