The Importance of Reading: Japanese Reading Habits

Hello…

Do you know one of the Japanese habit when they are waiting for the trains in the train station or while waiting for public transportation on their way to work? They will spend the waiting time to read! Yes, Japanese habit regarding reading is incredibly amazing. Not only will they read in the train station, but also in every place when they have got chances to read, such as in the bus station, at the airport, or in the dentist’s waiting room, at home, at the book store and so on. What they read? They read everything: books, magazines, comics, newspapers, etc.

Why is reading so important for the Japanese people? We might have known that Japan is the fastest-growth country in Asia. Japan is also well known as a ‘Tiger of Asia’. It is said that the Japanese culture would allow people only doing the best thing in their lives. There is also what so-called the shame culture for the Japanese when they failed to do the best. It means that, shortly, they always strive to become just “the number one” in everything they do; in every effort they make. For instance, they will do their best while pursuing their studies, as well as they will do their best while doing their works. So if reading and getting valuable knowledge are acquired in their studies or in their works, then they will go all-out maintaining the need for reading at the maximum level, too. No wonder why until today, Japan is an Asian country that is highly acknowledged by western countries.

Yet we have distinguished why that notable reading habit of the Japanese people could bring Japan becoming one of the strongest countries in the world. We, the Indonesian people, should take a great lesson from it if Indonesia would like to be a strong country in the world as well.* (WONN)