When you travel to a tropical country where you can see palm trees swaying and hear the sounds of waves, don't you feel like time passes more slowly?
Fijians live on "Fiji time," which is a constant source of surprise for Japanese people.
What exactly is Fiji Time?
This is not about going to Fiji and having 30 hours a day or anything like that.
Time is not a big deal for Fijians.
In Japan, we are taught that the rule is to be "five minutes early," and trains are so punctual that they make announcements if they are one minute late. Without even realizing it, we live our lives always thinking about what time it is .
(Try to consciously count how many times a day you notice the time!)
There's no set time to meet up with friends and family in Fiji!
Of course, there are times when the exact time is fixed (like a flight time!).
However, when making plans to meet with family or friends, the time is generally not mentioned.
Something like, "See you tomorrow."
When I first made the appointment with the Fijians,
"Well then, what time tomorrow?" I asked.
"...Hmm....Lunchtime...." he said. (I knew it was lunchtime though.)
In Japan, you would decide what time to meet in the afternoon, like 11:00? 11:30? 12:00?
They don't have that feeling.
Fijians are aware that they live on Fijian time!
Whenever I go to Fiji I hear the phrase "Fiji Time" many times.
Whenever something happens, he smiles and says, "It's FIJI TIME!!"
What was very interesting was,
When I met a Fijian kid who had never been on an airplane or been abroad, I said to him, "Sorry I'm late!"
When I said that, he said, "It's Fiji Time!"
"Fiji Time" is not something that was decided by foreigners looking at Fiji from the outside, but rather it is a kind of cultural aspect that was created by Fijians.
Of course the reverse is also true!!
The fact that everyone lives their life without worrying about time makes us think that they are very loose with time.
The documents I requested from the city hall never arrive. When I ask for documents that are taking a long time to arrive, I often hear, "Oh, I was just about to get them."
However, looking at the situation in Fiji recently, I have been thinking:
It seems like they are losing their sense of Fiji time as much as before.
At the resort hotel, the Fijian staff work very efficiently and diligently (although of course they are all smiling!).
When I requested room service or turndown service, it was done on time.
Of course, it would be nice if they could do it on time,
Fiji has also been undergoing modernization in recent years.
I hope that this uniquely Fijian "Fiji Time" will remain in the souls of Fijians forever.
Our thoughts
We operate in Japan as Fiji Time Japan.
I would like Japanese people to know about Fiji, a country rich in nature, and about Fijians, who are happy, full of smiles, and live on Fijian time.
The Japanese culture of being punctual is wonderful, but
When you want to take a breather, we hope you will discover the spirit of "Fiji Time" and discover a different way to spend your time.
The reason we named ourselves "Fiji Time Japan" is because we want to continue to carry out our activities with that Fijian spirit in mind.