The cool campaign

Japan has appointed a minister in charge of a campaign to promote its coolness quotient. Tomomi Inada, minister in charge of the Cool Japan strategy, has not only been bestowed with a pretty cool title but also with the responsibility of promoting businesses related to the Cool Japan culture as part of the government’s growth strategy. And if you have ever tried to throw a Hadouken (an attack move inspired by the video game Street Fighter) or dabble in Harajuku-style fashion in the confines of your bedroom, then the Cool Japan strategy is slowly beginning to work.

From illustrating to motoring and martial arts, many elements of Japanese culture have found a permanent home here in the country. We speak to three dynamic individuals who have helped these art forms grow in the UAE.

John Ratnam
58, Sri Lankan
Aikikai 4th dan, Dojo Cho of
Zanshinkan and the Regional
Director of Aikido Middle East

What’s Aikido?

A Japanese martial art that focuses on redirecting the force of attack rather than countering it.

What motivates and inspires you?

I am motivated by the principles of Aikido. Remember, it is more difficult to protect life than it is to take a life. It is easy to learn to kill, but hard to learn to preserve.

When did it all begin?

I started practising martial arts in the 1960s at the age of 12.

What is your mission?

My mission is to spread the art of peace and to stop the anger, unhappiness and frustration within us.

Are you a lone hero or do you have a sidekick?

I am not a lone hero; I am nothing without my team. My team is nothing without me, we are all nothing, but we are everything.

What are the tools you use to do your work?

In Aikido, we use props such as wooden swords and small wooden knives as Aikido techniques are based on handling these weapons.

What advice would you give those who want to do what you do?

Practise courage, perseverance and prepare for a long journey. The reward is a happy and balanced life.

Tell us about your alter ego.

I do not have one. My alter ego is Aikido — all my life, until my last breath.

What is your kryptonite?

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, according to the situations they face. If the negative energy develops within me, I feel weak. That is why we should accept everything as it is — in that way I can overcome emotional weakness.

What’s in store for the future?

My plans for the future involve training youngsters and children in the art of Aikido. I want the children here in the Middle East to learn about harmony rather than violence.

What’s the one sentence or phrase that inspires you?

My punch line Ichi ea ichi go. This loosely translates as “there is no second chance for a first impression”.

Ahmed Al Ameri
28, Emirati
The UAE’s King of Drift.

What’s drifting?

A driving technique where drivers slide their cars around corners by oversteering intentionally, loosing rear wheel traction.

When did it all begin?

It began in Japan when I went there for further studies. I always had a passion for motor sports ever since I was 13. I can partly blame my older brother’s Toyota Supra for that. In Japan, I experimented with different types of motor racing before settling for drifting.

What’s your mission?

I want to get younger guys here in the UAE off the streets and practise motor sports in a safe environment. I try to do this through the media, Facebook and Instagram.

Are you a lone hero or do you have a sidekick?

I do have a wonderful team and numerous supporters behind me. What first started off as the Emirates Drifting Team is now the Toyota Drifting Team, thanks to the support from Toyota and Al Futtaim Motors. Other companies and garages such as Maxxis Tyres, Extreme Performance, Emirates Motorsport Technology and PeeBee Motorsport support me as well.

You need a car with a good wheelbase in order to drift. Right now, that for me is the FT86. It is also about the right suspension set-up, more than the horsepower.

What advice would you give those who want to do what you do?

Head over to the Yas Drift Academy, they use the FT86 there too. If you have completed level one of drift training, you can then request that I teach you for the next levels.

Tell us about your alter ego.

I hold the General Manager’s office at the Al Ain Municipality. It is an interesting job, as I get to meet a lot of people every day.

What’s your kryptonite?

When the spectators come to see me and I do not deliver, I feel that I have not only let my fans down, but let myself down as well.

What’s in store for the future?

We did have a few problems with the car this season, mostly involving getting used to a new car. I hope that for the next season we would have built the vehicle exactly how we like it. Overall, I would like to see more people attending the events and supporting the Toyota Emirates Drifting Team.

Sophie Chan
22, Iraqi
The creator of the manga titled
The Ocean of Secrets

What’s Manga?

Manga is a genre of cartoon and comics that originated in Japan.

What motivates and inspires you?

My inspiration came from a fantasy story I wrote. I also have many fans and more than 100,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel. They all supported me and urged me to complete and publish my manga.

When did it all begin?

Manga was a childhood dream that started when I was 13. That was a dream I kept pushing for while I perfected my art.

What’s your mission?

I want to inspire others to achieve their dreams. Although I did not study art, or get the chance to study in Japan, I wanted to show them that we could still make and publish manga.

What are the tools you use to do your work?

I use computers mostly; I use software called Manga Studio to create my work.

What would you tell people who want to do what you do?

I would suggest that they try their hand at anime (animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation) first. If they are still interested in that, they will soon discover the art of manga.

What’s your life like away from manga?

It is about being a simple college student who studies engineering.

What’s your kryptonite? What are your weaknesses that bring you down?

The environment itself is a challenge. Because you are trying to create a manga in an environment that does not even support the art.

What’s in store for the future?

I have one book complete right now and I would like to publish it worldwide for everyone to read. I am looking for publishers, but that is extremely difficult, so I might self-publish.

What’s the one sentence or phrase that inspires you?

A light always guides you to do what you do. Just follow that light.