Staff Writer, Dubai

The Japanese perception about Arab countries is still very much influenced by the Western point of view, and many Japanese still see Arab countries and culture as exotic, translator and researcher Dr. Kaoru Yamamoto has said.

“The Japanese experience of interaction with Arabs has been quite different from the Western world. Travels for the Japanese people in the past haven’t been easy, particularly for women who were different from Western women in terms of participation,” said Yamamoto, who is assistant professor at the faculty of policy management at Keio University.

Speaking to Arab News Japan after addressing a panel discussion in Abu Dhabi on Monday, Yamamoto said that Japan also being part of the orient made Japanese travelers to the Arab world different from travelers from the West.

Talking about the synergies that exist between Japan and the Arab world, she added that modernization and Westernization have the same meaning for Japan, which is also the same for Arab countries.

During the forum, titled “The Orient Pioneers: Western Travelers in Arabia,” Yamamoto delved into the era of colonization and talked about a Japanese writer who suggested at the time that Japan must learn from the British experience in Egypt to rule China and Korea.

The discussions emphasized the importance of culture, art and literature in creating connections between nations and cultures, in the context of travel in the Arabian Peninsula.

Yamamoto expressed hope for a greater cultural exchange between Japan and the Arab world.

“I teach the Arabic language in various Japanese universities and I try to make students understand the culture and history. I hope language becomes the bridge between these two cultures and societies,” she said.

She added that Japanese women’s travel to the Arab world started only around the middle of the 20th century and it was only then that they got to know more about Arab and Muslim communities.

As part of the forum, an exhibition on the “Five Centuries of Adventure and Entrepreneurship: Western Travelers in Arabia” was organized at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi.

The exhibition featured rare historical images and a range of publications and documents on the experiences of Western travelers on the tour of Arabia.