A Singapore lawyer holidaying in Japan with 13 family members unexpectedly went viral online after he was filmed playing the national anthem on a harmonica in the streets. His son and nephew also brought along mini Singapore flags to march in celebration, and the two videos together have attracted hundreds of thousands of views.
On Sunday (Aug 10), a 24-second TikTok clip with the caption, “How to know if someone is Singaporean in Japan?” shot to popularity, garnering more than 234,600 views and over 31,600 likes within just one day.
@ahguamanVery patriotic Singaporean♬ original sound – Ahguaman
In the video, a man is seen playing the Singapore national anthem on a harmonica beside a traditional Japanese building, while a woman in red-and-white National Day-themed clothing records the moment. The scene was captured by Singapore TikTok personality Ahquaman, who uploaded it to his account, where it quickly went viral.
The harmonica player turned out to be veteran Singapore criminal lawyer Peter Ong, who expressed his surprise at the sudden attention when interviewed over the phone from Fukuoka, Japan, on Sunday night.
He explained that he was on a five-day, four-night family trip to Fukuoka with 13 relatives, including his wife, his eldest son, and his nephew, who is also the TikTok creator Ahquaman himself.
The TikTok creator shared that before the trip, he had intentionally brought mini Singapore flags to film a marching video on the streets of Japan. The harmonica clip of his uncle, however, was captured by chance. He uploaded it to his account without expecting it to receive such a warm response.
Another video, the TikTok creator showed him and his cousin marching in the street while holding umbrellas and mini Singapore flags, racked up over 240,700 views and more than 25,700 likes.
@ahguaman Replying to @Assuming Chewy Hormat Singapore @Danny | Calisthenics ♬ original sound – Ahguaman
Ong’s eldest son, who is currently studying at university, said he is an Officer Cadet and will serve as a Military Expert 4 in the Singapore Armed Forces after graduation. Marching, he added, was not difficult for him at all.
