THE LATE AJIP ROSIDI IN THE EYES OF JAPANESE PEOPLE: INTERPRETIVE ANALYSIS OF JAPANESE WEBSITE CONTENTS

Abstract

The death of litterateur Ajip Rosidi on July 29, 2020 does not merely mean loss for the Indonesian people but also causes sorrow for Japanese people such as his former students, close friends, and lovers of his literary works. This indicates that the figure of the late Ajip Rosidi and his works have a special place in the hearts of Japanese people. The sadness and sympathy of the citizens of Sakura Country (Japan) for the late Ajip Rosidi, for example, can be seen on the internet site mairi.me, which expresses condolences and sends virtual wreaths. This article aimed to reveal how the figure of the late Ajip Rosidi on Japanese internet pages / websites, both the ones that were delivered immediately after the news of Ajip Rosidis death or before. This qualitative study used the data collected by applying the nethnography method from various Japanese-language internet sites including weblio.jp; blog.goo.ne.jp; kotobank.jp; and mairi.me. The qualitative data in the form of statements, expressions, utterances, and visuals were analyzed using interpretive content analysis theory. The results of the analysis show three things. First, the figure of the late Ajip Rosidi is widely known in Japan as evidenced by the expression of sympathy and sadness conveyed soon after his death spontaneously. Second, the expressions of sympathy and sadness have been conveyed with the term mairi condolences and virtual delivery of wreaths in accordance with Japanese traditions and culture. Third, Japanese citizens appreciate the late Ajip Rosidis work in building friendship between Japan and Indonesia through person to person contact and through formal institutional contacts when the late Ajip Rosidi taught Indonesian language, literature and culture at several universities in Japan.
Keywords : Ajip Rosidi, Indonesia-Japan Friendship, nethnography, interpretive content analysis