Assalamualaikum,
The beautiful Month of Ramadhan just around the corner. Muslim in Japan is ready to welcome the month of blessing. Alhamdullilah, this will become my 6th Ramadhan in Japan.
Fasting in Japan is slightly different from fasting in my home country Indonesia,
I will share my story about fasting in Japan, what the difference between Japan and Indonesia, I hope this writing will somehow help you this Ramadhan and the next.
Time of Fasting Differ for Each Season
This year in Japan Ramadhan insyaALLAH start in early summer, around the beginning of May, it means there will be different with fasting in Indonesia (In Japan probably around 15 hours long fasting). But when Ramadhan starting in the middle of Summer, fasting can reach up to 17 hours and I experienced it before, Alhamdullilah very exhausted but I am sure Allah will see our effort (Ameen, InshaALLAH). On the other side, fasting during the winter season is easier, the sunrise is late and the sunset is early, therefore, the time to break the fast is faster
Regular Activity During Ramadhan: Nothing Change
As a Muslim observing Ramadan in Japan, The hype was totally different, is like 100% different, please don`t expect the food advertising will stop and not to mention that the restaurant still open during the daytime. Yupp.. trust me, Ramadhan here is just regular day. No Ramadhan holiday, it is just your typical day (It is possible that many Japanese still do not know what is Ramadhan in the first place)
One of the hardest feelings is when you just walk around the city and see all those lovely Japanese food and the food fragrance just sticking in your nose wherever you go, all those children with Ice cream in their mouth. Everybody seems to enjoy food more during Ramadan. (LOL)
But what makes it different is, there will be iftar party in the mosques or within the Muslim community in your area, Ramadhan is the time when you can meet other fellow Muslim living in Japan, not only Indonesian but other countries as well. Ramadhan is a beautiful month for the Muslim community to get together in Japan.
There is Always that One Friend Offer You Drink
For many of my Japanese acquaintance, see me without drink or food from sunrise to sunset is somehow worrisome. And one day, my secretary in University secretly put a bottle of water to my pocket, she said that “Please have a drink, no one will see you drink this water” I was laughed and could not stop that time. I understand that she was worry and I am grateful to have a friend like her, but the idea of no food and drinks during daytime in a hot Japan summer is hard to understand for many Japanese. Little she knew that I trained my fasting since I was 7 years old or so. And ALLAH is always watching…
Not only her but every year there is always one friend at least offered me drink during Ramadhan
Breaking The Fast
In Indonesia, when the time to break the fast, you can hear Adzan everywhere (I am pretty sure this is also happening in most majority Muslim countries), we are waiting for that, we are excited about that. In Japan, I put an alarm in my phone, see the schedule and that’s how I break the fast, No Adzan, No announcement, just cellphone, sometimes I feel that I kind of miss fasting in Indonesia with all those Ramadhan hypes. But, even without the hype, I feel that Ramadhan here has its own perk, the activity is regular and busy as usual, so I don`t think much about food, In Indonesia, everyone talks about fasting, activity kind of slow and I feel hungry all the time (LOL).
Anyway, wherever you are, please be grateful to ALLAH that he made the month of Ramadhan for us, the month full of blessing and rewards. Ramadhan Mubarak everyone!!!!
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