The Charms of Romania

This year marks the "100th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Romania." I served as the Ambassador to Romania for three years starting in 2009, and right in the middle of that period, on March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred.

In fact, the Romanian people are very pro-Japanese. When the earthquake struck, we received a great deal of sympathy for Japan and they carried out support activities. The Romanian Red Cross collected donations, and children in Bucharest folded one thousand origami cranes, saying, "Please deliver these to the children of Japan." So, I brought those cranes back to Japan, visited Fukushima, and presented them to the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture at the time. It was an opportunity to experience the kindness of the Romanian people.

I created heart-shaped badges combining the Romanian and Japanese flags with the words "Friendship," "Love," and "Cooperation," and sent them to 1,000 Romanian children as a token of gratitude.

That is a heartwarming episode. After graduating from university, while working for a travel agency in Italy, I happened to become friends with a Romanian person and became interested in Romania. It was shortly after the start of the 2000s, and in Japan, the country was mostly only known for "Dracula, Comăneci, and Ceaușescu."

Later, I changed jobs and went to Romania, and it was a more beautiful country than I had imagined. The food was delicious, many traditions remained, and the people were very warm, much like in Southern Italy. I was left with a wonderful impression.

However, in Japan, people mostly only knew of negative impressions. So, while working, I started sharing the charms of Romania on a personal blog. Eventually, I began receiving work from "Chikyu no Arukikata" (Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook) and local travel agencies. I have continued promoting Romania for 16 years now.

Even now, I take my children back to Romania whenever possible, sometimes spending a whole month there during summer vacation. I call it "going back to my hometown" (laughs).

I am the most junior here and have the shortest history with Romania. A concrete connection began in 2018, when Koga City started moving toward becoming a host town for Romania for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

At that time, I was still a member of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, and I strongly wanted to attract a foreign athlete training camp to my hometown of Koga City to create opportunities for international exchange and multicultural coexistence. While consulting with the mayor at the time, I heard from Fukuoka Prefecture that "the Romanian judo team is looking for a camp site," and I stepped forward to volunteer.

When the team first arrived in June 2018, we gave them a grand welcome. They enjoyed local resources such as Koga's famous Yakuouji Onsen and ate delicious food. The athletes were very happy. In December of that year, I was elected mayor, formally signed the agreement for the camp site, and the following year, we were registered as a host town.

I cannot speak Romanian and am not good at English, but believing that exchange is important above all else, I went to Romania at my own expense as mayor in the summer of 2019.

I mentioned that there are many pro-Japanese people, and their interest seems to lie in how Japan achieved remarkable economic development after the war while maintaining its traditional culture. Currently, there are about 2,000 people studying Japanese at the University of Bucharest and Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. That many people are studying Japanese in an Eastern European country.

Among young people, a cosplay festival called "NIJIKON" is held every year, attracting 2,000 to 3,000 people, so I think interest in Japanese culture is very high.

In Bucharest, Japanese is taught not only in universities but also in high schools. Romania is historically rich in diversity and is a multilingual nation, but there are also institutions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education that teach Japanese to children.

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test can also be taken in Romania. In 2005, the Center for Japanese Studies was established within the Romanian-American University. People from all over the country who study Japanese are registered there, and they hold events related to Japan.

I hear there are now over 100 sushi restaurants in Bucharest. When I first went in 2000, Asians walking around were often thought to be Chinese, but recently, people sometimes greet me with "Konnichiwa."

Among Asian countries, I think it's safe to say that Japan is the most popular. China has made significant inroads in terms of economic relations, but there seems to be a sense of caution that they might end up taking the best parts for themselves.

On the other hand, Japan's way of involvement involves providing development aid while teaching know-how, for example. We provide support in a way that allows Romanians to operate the constructed roads and railways themselves even after Japan withdraws. I believe there is an appreciation for that.

When I visited Romania, I was welcomed very warmly and felt the kindness of the Romanian people. I went to the Romanian Olympic Committee and met with President Mihai Covaliu. Perhaps because it is rare for a head of a Japanese local government to visit, even a local TV station came to the grand reception room.

Actually, I lost my luggage on the way there. So, even though it was a situation where I should have been wearing a tie, I didn't have a suit or a tie. However, when I explained the situation, they welcomed me very warmly and hospitably, saying, "That happens often. Don't worry about it."

Afterward, they took me to a fine restaurant to have a course meal together, saying, "Let's eat together." About four types of Ciorba (a soup widely eaten in Romania) came out all at once, along with many other dishes. They even served Romanian alcohol.

That would be the distilled spirit called Ţuică.

That's right. Just because I said I could handle my alcohol, they had me drink many glasses, and I even received souvenirs. I feel I was able to have a truly warm exchange.

Hearing your story, there are two points that I think are very typical of Romanians. One is the spirit of hospitality. The fact that "four types of Ciorba came out" is very Romanian. The generous spirit of hospitality—"Eat this, drink this, and please see this too"—is the culture of Romanians, who also have Latin blood.

Another typical Romanian trait is saying "Don't worry about it" regarding the lost luggage. Romania has a strength and resilience from surviving a harsh history, and a mindset of "It'll work out somehow."

There is an expression Romanians often use: "Asta e" (That's it / That's how it is). It might be close to the French "C’est la vie," but there is a quality of accepting any situation with "Yeah, that's how it is, don't worry about it." It is a phrase that well represents the Romanian mentality.

Hearing that reminded me of something. The day after I went to the Olympic Committee, I was scheduled to meet the Ambassador at the Japanese Embassy in Romania. Since I couldn't go to the embassy in casual clothes, I went to a store the night before to buy shoes and a suit.

I wanted to look for them by myself, but a female clerk insisted, "I'll find them for you," and recommended clothes that were clearly meant for someone in their 20s. I said, "I can't wear this," but I gave in to her persistence and bought that suit for young people (laughs). The face of that clerk as she aggressively recommended it just came to mind.

That assertiveness is also similar to Italians. They frankly convey, "I think this. This is good." However, even though they are also Latin, they can be a bit more ironic.

Everyone who visits Romania comes back as a fan. It is sometimes said that "Romania is a Shangri-La for Japanese travelers." Each region retains very attractive and unique traditional cultures, such as dances, music, and costumes. In addition to the kindness of the people, I think these traditional cultures are a major attraction.

What I enjoyed most during my time as Ambassador to Romania was interacting with nature. The Carpathian Mountains run through the middle of Romania, dividing the country into three parts, each of which retains a unique culture.

Thanks to these mountains, there were parts of Romania that were difficult to unify as a country, but on the other hand, the mountains blocked the expansion of foreign powers such as the Ottoman Turks, Russia, and the Habsburgs. Because of that, I believe the Romanian people were able to survive through 2,000 years of history.

Mountains and plateaus account for about 70% of Romania's land, and truly "untouched nature" remains. This is true of the Carpathian Mountains, and the Danube Delta, a World Natural Heritage site, is the largest in Europe and home to many wild animals, such as pelicans.

And in each region divided by the Carpathian Mountains, monasteries and castles stand quietly in the mountains.

Japanese tours are often bundled with Bulgaria and are quite rushed, but crossing the Carpathians takes time even by train. The scenery from the train window—the mountains, the vast fields of wheat, sunflowers, and bright red poppies—is moving in every season. You can encounter wonderful nature even less than an hour from the capital, so I want people to take their time and see it.

For me, climbing the Carpathian Mountains is the top recommendation. I started a mountaineering club within the embassy and climbed many mountains all over.

In fact, Romania is the country with the most brown bears in Europe. However, brown bears do not go to the higher parts of the mountains. They only go up to the tree line at about 1,600 meters, so if you take a cable car to a high altitude, you have nothing to worry about and can spend time enjoying the vast sky and beautiful mountain scenery.

In Japan, there are various tourist facilities even on mountaintops, but there are almost none there. The great nature remains just as it is. Looking far into the distance, there are many birds and the scenery is very beautiful. I believe Romania's treasures are its beautiful nature in addition to the kindness of its people.

Romania means "Land of the Romans." Around the 2nd or 3rd century AD, the Roman Empire's army advanced into this land. The local Dacians and Roman soldiers intermingled to form the modern Romanian people. That is the history it starts from.

Being descendants of Romans is their pride. The current Romanian national anthem is a battle song used to inspire fighting spirit during independence from the Ottoman Turks, and its lyrics say, "Do not forget that the blood of our ancestors, the Romans, flows in us" and "Trajan (the Roman Emperor) is the man we worship."

In a sense, the Romanian people are still fighting today. They are at the easternmost edge of the EU, with Russia right there and the Islamic world just a short distance away. They are, so to speak, on the front lines of the EU. In fact, their influence on international politics and security in this region is significant.

The national anthem is titled "Awaken, Romanian!", isn't it?

Recently, IT outsourcing and offshore development have also been flourishing. Since joining the EU in 2007, Romania has an environment where various products can be developed and tested to EU standards. Romanians are also suited for multilingual development. I hear that Eastern Europe's first large-scale data center is currently being built there.

For Japanese companies, Romania is a gateway to EU trade. If you expand into Romania and manufacture products there, they are products within the EU, so trade can be done freely within it. I believe it has become an important base for promoting trade with Europe.

Romania has a history of being pressured by surrounding major powers. They entrust that frustration and the desire to resist to arts such as music and literature. Along with the beauty of nature, I believe such things are crystallized within Romanian culture.

In the ancient city of Sibiu, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, one of the world's three major theater festivals, is held every year. The theater here has a great impact and a tremendous power to appeal to the audience. I believe that the pride, frustration, and thoughts of the Romanian people are all contained within it, including music, legends, and folklore, and that is conveyed very strongly.

Every year, nearly 20 young people from Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, go to help out at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Why not Koga City as well?

I see. By the way, I was in the drama club in high school, so maybe I should go first (laughs). Now that the Olympics and Paralympics are over, I'm thinking about whether we can create opportunities for the next generation of children to experience Romania or interact with Romanian children.

The Sibiu Theatre Festival started on a small scale as a student theater festival a few years after the 1989 revolution. Now it has become truly large, with people gathering from over 70 countries around the world. From Japan, famous people like Kanzaburo Nakamura and Hideki Noda have performed in the year Sibiu was chosen as a European Capital of Culture.

The stage is one thing, but what's charming is that the entire German-influenced city of Sibiu in Transylvania becomes art. Factories and churches become theaters, circuses are held in squares, and street performances and dances take place on main streets. I thought it would be wonderful to introduce Japanese Bon Odori or Japanese children's songs in such places.

In Romania, there is a tradition where children visit houses and sing Christmas carols (Colindă) and New Year's songs, much like Halloween. They enjoy singing in their daily lives, not just on stage. It would be great if we could have an exchange between such children. I would also love to see the Mayor's performance in Sibiu (laughs).

Koga City also has a theater troupe formed by citizens. Theater is a performing art, but I believe it leads to communication in daily life. Our very lives and daily existence should possess a theatrical quality. And I believe there is communication and emotional connection between people there, so I thought what you just said was very lovely.

In terms of Japanese culture, there is a very strong interest in martial arts such as Judo and Karate. Throughout Romania, I think thousands of people are practicing Karate, Judo, Kendo, and Aikido combined. So I think there can also be exchange through sports.

Fortunately, the team that came to our city for the camp was a judo team, and they had a high interest in Japan. There were three athletes who participated in the Olympics—one female and two males—and I felt they had a great deal of sympathy for judo. When they came here, I think we were able to create a place where they could interact with children in Koga City who practice judo and where both sides could enjoy themselves.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were in a situation where we couldn't go to cheer at the actual Olympics or have them come for a camp, but we created an opportunity for children to send their cheers online and give them encouragement.

As far as I know, Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture is very enthusiastic about its relationship with Romania. Ehime University in Matsuyama City has an academic exchange agreement with the University of Bucharest, and they have mutual study abroad programs. There is also exchange between students from Ion Creangă High School and high schools in Matsuyama City.

In 2018, Matsuyama City donated 1,000 cherry tree saplings to the city of Cluj-Napoca. I expect there will eventually be a row of cherry trees in Cluj-Napoca.

I would definitely like to visit Cluj-Napoca.

Oh, it's a beautiful place.

Cluj-Napoca is the base for Romanian judo athletes. The coach of the Romanian national team is a Japanese man named Kohei Oishi, and Mr. Oishi is also based there. We have been talking about how it would be good if we could establish sister-city-like cooperation and friendly relations between the cities.

Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca also has a Center for Japanese Cultural Studies and is one of the universities very enthusiastic about Japanese language education. It is one of the central cities of the Transylvania region, and most Japanese companies expanding into Romania go to either Bucharest or the Transylvania region. I think the investment environment is good.

Transylvania was not originally part of Romania but was incorporated later. It has a history of being influenced by Hungary and Germany.

The Italian company I worked for was based in Timișoara in the Transylvania region. The buildings in the city are colorful, the people are very open to foreign cultures, and the languages are diverse. Italian is also well understood.

The soup called Ciorba is like miso soup in Japan, but there are various patterns and many types of seasoning. It also contains many different ingredients. I learned that from the four bowls I was served.

It's made with a seasoning of fermented wheat. As you said, it's very rich in variety; they put in beef, pork, fish, and some places even put in noodles.

The seasoning can be tomato-based, or more simple—there are various bases. However, one serving is quite large, like a bowl filled to the brim. Ciorba is almost enough on its own. The fact that four bowls came out (laughs)...

Exactly. Four bowls came out when one would have been enough (laughs). There was even one with tripe.

Beef tripe is common. Ciorba is made in every household. When made at home, they make a whole pot and eat it over two or three days, sometimes changing the flavor. Of course, it's also served in restaurants. Ciorba is certainly one of the national dishes.

There are eight elementary schools and three junior high schools in our city, and to make the children aware of Romania, we asked the school lunch center to make Ciorba. Of course, since it's a school lunch, it might not have been exactly like the local version, but the fact that Romanian food was served seemed to leave a strong impression.

What a wonderful initiative! I want it to spread all over Japan!

In addition to school lunches, we also made it with citizens in a cooking class. We invited Florentina, a woman from Romania whom I met through the camp site attraction, to come as an instructor, and we all made Ciorba together.

Even when eating Romanian food for the first time, it feels easy to eat and nostalgic. How did you find it?

It suits the Japanese palate, doesn't it? I thought it was very easy to eat.

I often describe it as "(Italian food + French food) ÷ Russian food." Italy is tomato stews, basically simple. France is dairy like cheese and cream. Russia is a cold region, so pickles and sour things. Japanese people can encounter flavors they feel they've tasted somewhere before.

One reason I was able to stay in Romania for so long was because the food was delicious. They simmer dozens of liters of tomato paste and jam.

In Romania, they always value seasonal ingredients while making handmade preserved foods, so you can always eat the best quality. I think this is one of the charms that attracts first-time visitors to Romania. The same goes for wine.

The land in Romania is fertile; it's part of the black soil granary belt that connects from France. Therefore, even without doing anything extra, the vegetables and fruits that come out are very delicious.

If you go to the countryside a bit, every house grows their own grapes to make wine, keeps pigs, and definitely keeps chickens (laughs). It's all local production for local consumption.

I hadn't experienced this in other European countries, but when I went to Romania, I was honestly surprised by how rich the food culture is.

Just now, both of you spoke about wine as if it were a given, but until now, I didn't know that Romanian wine was so good. Everyone in Romania says, "Our wine is delicious," but that image doesn't really exist in Japan, does it?

There are several places that pride themselves on being the birthplace of wine, and one of them is Romania, along with neighboring Moldova.

The wine produced here is truly delicious. Wine originally emerged from this area, and Italy and France came later. It's true that most people in Japan are unaware of that.

As you said, Romania is a wine country, but in fact, about 90% of the amount produced is consumed domestically. I think there are still many wineries that are not yet well-known.

And as Mr. Amamiya said, people make wine at home. It's a form of hospitality to say, "Come and drink our wine" (laughs). Since so-called home wine is the mainstream, there are areas where premium wines haven't spread that much.

Also, when it comes to Romania, sewing and garment-making technologies are advanced. This is a tradition from the communist era, but because they are very skilled and prices are low, Italian clothing manufacturers make products in Romania and sell them overseas as Italian products.

They possess such various technologies, but people in Japan don't know much about it.

If you look at luxury brands from Italy and France, there are quite a few "Made in Romania" items.

And recently, Romanian brands have been emerging little by little. I later learned that the person importing "I.D. Sarrieri," a luxury lingerie brand favored by Hollywood celebrities, was a senior Keio University alumni.

The embroidered blouse called "IE," which is a traditional costume, is also being applied for as a World Heritage site by Romania and Moldova together. The technology for sewing clothes is very high.

We have already purchased two IE outfits, one for men and one for women, at the city hall.

Oh, then you're all set for your trip to Sibiu (laughs).

I wore it to promote Koga City. Are there many sheep in Romania too?

It depends on the region. There are many in the mountainous regions of Transylvania, and in the Bukovina region near Moldova and Ukraine, there is truly a culture of living with sheep.

My mother is a dyer who does weaving. When I told her I was going to Romania, she said, "It's a place with lots of sheep, how nice for you."

In those regions, sheep take priority over people; sometimes people wait for the sheep to pass before proceeding on the road.

Beyond just spinning wool for costumes, because it's a cold region, there are jackets to throw on, as well as carpets and tapestries to decorate houses, all made of wool and brightly colored. In some regions, such items are part of a traditional dowry.

I think Japanese people would like the IE as well. It felt great when I tried it on.

The compatibility with Japanese people is definitely good in various fields.

Since World War II, Romania was under Soviet influence for a long time as a country in the socialist bloc, so I think there were few opportunities for Japanese people to encounter its original culture.

But it's a bright country. While Romanian people are somewhat fatalistic and have a quiet side from enduring being surrounded by major powers, they also have a very bright and passionate side. I hope this aspect can be introduced to Japan a bit more.

As we've discussed, Romania is not very well known. I suspect Romanian people are not very good at self-promotion.

To spread awareness of Romania more widely, I'm thinking it might be good to create an "official Dracula," like the official Santa Claus, and have them certified in various countries (laughs).

Dracula is a hero to the Romanian people.

Vlad III, commonly known as Count Dracula, was the ruler of the Principality of Wallachia during the time it was conquered by Turkey. His father (Vlad II) fought against the Ottoman Empire, and the name Dracul originated from that.

Dracul comes from being a member of the Order of the Dragon, which was formed in the 13th or 14th century centered around the King of Hungary. His son seems to have been called Dracula (Son of the Dragon).

The Irish author Bram Stoker, from the British era, used him as material for a novel and made him famous, but for Romania, he is a hero who fought fiercely against the Ottoman Turks.

Bran Castle, where Vlad III is said to have temporarily hidden, is also known as Dracula's Castle. The monasteries built during the wars of the Turkish era are also beautiful.

If you go to Bran Castle, there are very detailed explanations posted.

Not only Count Dracula, but also the monarchs who fought the Turks and built monasteries are praised as heroes, and their names are used for main streets and airports.

I think it's a good thing to have a story for overseas promotion.

Speaking from the perspective of someone involved in town planning, I'd say let people start with Dracula and go to Bran Castle. If there are other attractive people and history beyond that, I want the Romania support group to make full use of it. Almost everyone knows Dracula (laughs).

It was more than 10 years ago now, but while I was serving as ambassador, then-President Basescu came to Japan and held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Hatoyama. A signing ceremony for the exchange of notes for a Japanese ODA loan for the construction of the Bucharest subway was held, and based on Japanese assistance, a subway line connecting Bucharest International Airport to the city center is to be built. It doesn't seem to be progressing very well, but one of the stations is supposedly going to be named "TOKYO," and I hope that becomes a reality.

Regarding the Japanese Imperial Family, Emperor Akihito (now Emperor Emeritus) visited Romania with the Crown Princess when he was Crown Prince. Prince and Princess Akishino also visited in 2009. I hope the 100th anniversary will be an occasion for more visits by dignitaries.

Timisoara in the west is the city where the revolution first broke out, and it was actually supposed to be the European Capital of Culture this year, but it was postponed due to COVID-19. A flower festival is held every year in the Revolution Square there. Many Romanian names are derived from flowers, and events where people give flowers to each other are popular.

I think attention will gather on cities where events and things that match past history with modern glamour are held. While Romania has old-fashioned, peaceful rural landscapes, it also has an aspect of incorporating new things and undergoing transformation.

The sculptor Brancusi and the composer Enescu are also Romanian. The early 20th century was an era when Romanian culture blossomed.

I look forward to exchanges in the field of art. First, Mr. Tanabe's stage performance (laughs).

As an actor (laughs). Although the exchange between our city and Romania is still short, I think it's very important that there are business opportunities directed toward the EU.

By the way, Koga City is a town with strong industrial power, and in the field of food products, it boasts the second-highest shipment value among the 60 municipalities in the prefecture. I believe it's also an important job to introduce Romania to companies in Koga City and encourage opportunities for expansion into Europe.

Listening to everyone's stories reminded me of when I was running around Romania with all my might 10 years ago. I hope that this year's "100th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Romania" will be an opportunity to further promote mutual understanding and cooperative relations in various fields.