The Last Samurai : Culture, Identity, Honor, and Pride

“I have dreamed of a unified Japan

. . .of a country strong and independent and modern.

And now we have railroads and cannons, western clothing.

But. . .

. . .We cannot forget who we are. . .

. . .or where we come from.”

 

Whoa ! I was almost crying with watery eyes when watching this film for the second time. It’s an old film, but this film never ceases astonishing me.  I like the sounds of the clashing swords, I like the hoarse throats of the old men dying, I like the booming sounds of howitzer, I like the splashes of blood, I like the outfits, the settings, I like everything from this film.

I learned many things from this film. The obvious lesson I got from this film is that; don’t we ever try forgetting our own cultures, because culture is our nation’s identity, honor, and pride.  Indeed that is true, everybody in the world shares different cultures, and that’s what makes us different, that’s our identities. My father once told me that when you follow other cultures and in the other hands you leave your own cultures, you have turned into ‘unindentified living object’, because no matter how close you imitate others, you are still not the others, and on the other hand, you have left your own identities behind.

I also believe that developing countries have to prioritize the preservations of their cultures first before they build their nations. Japan is the country which applies this policy; they implanted the spirit of Samurai, the bushido into their nations’ soul before they build their country. The effect is so effing amazing that makes Japan shares the same podium with big power countries such as USA and Russia. When we know our own cultures, we will aware of our identities, not only that we will support and fight for our country, our nationality will be risen up and we will choose to buy our own products, and all of the things invented will be the sake for our country. That’s why I believe that before developing countries want to build their economy and industrial, they have to build their culture, identity, honor, and pride so that all of the development of their technology, industry, economy, or politic will be in favor of them, in favor of their own nations.