The Allure 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 and support from them. The Romanian Red Cross collected donations, and children in Bucharest folded one thousand origami cranes, saying they wanted them delivered to the children of Japan. So, I took 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 firsthand.

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 an Italian travel agency, I happened to become friends with a Romanian person and became interested in the country. This was in the early 2000s, and in Japan, Romania was mostly known only 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 the negative impressions. So, while working, I started sharing the charms of Romania on a personal blog. This led to work opportunities from "Chikyu no Arukikata" (Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook) and local travel agencies. I've 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. My concrete connection began in 2018, when Koga City started moving toward becoming a host town for Romania for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

At the time, I was still a member of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, and I was determined 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 immediately raised my hand.

When the team first arrived in June 2018, we gave them a warm welcome. They enjoyed local resources like 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 don't speak Romanian and I'm not good at English, but believing that exchange is what matters most, 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 places like the University of Bucharest and Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. That's a significant number of people studying Japanese for 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 some high schools. Romania is historically diverse and a multilingual nation, and there are 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 are learning 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 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 all the benefits.

On the other hand, Japan's approach involves providing development assistance while teaching know-how, so that even after Japan withdraws, Romanians can operate the constructed roads and railways themselves. I believe there is an appreciation for that kind of support.

When I visited Romania, I was welcomed very warmly and felt the kindness of the Romanian people deeply. I went to the Romanian Olympic Committee and met with President Mihai Covaliu. Perhaps because it's 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 my suit or a tie. But when I explained the situation, they welcomed me very warmly, saying, "That happens often. Don't worry about it."

Afterward, they took me to a fine restaurant for a course meal, 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 liquor, they had me drink many glasses, and they even gave me souvenirs. I feel I was able to have a truly warm exchange.

Hearing your story, there are two points that strike me as very Romanian. One is the spirit of hospitality. Serving four types of Ciorba is very typical of Romanians. That generous spirit of "eat this, drink this, and you must see this too" is part of Romanian culture, which also has Latin roots.

The other point, saying "don't worry about it" regarding the lost luggage, is also very Romanian. Romania has a strength and resilience born from surviving a difficult history, and a mindset of "it'll work out somehow."

There is an expression Romanians often use: "Asta e," which means "That's how it is." It might be close to the French "C’est la vie," but it reflects an acceptance of any situation with a "Yeah, don't worry about it" attitude. It's 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 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 youth-oriented suit (laughs). I can still see her face as she was aggressively recommending it.

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

Everyone who visits Romania comes back as a fan. It's sometimes said that "Romania is a Shangri-La for Japanese travelers." Each region has many charming 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 the contact with nature. The Carpathian Mountains run through the middle of Romania, dividing the country into three parts, each of which has preserved its own unique culture.

Thanks to these mountains, it was difficult for Romania to unite as a country, but on the other hand, the mountains blocked the expansion of foreign powers like the Ottoman Empire, 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 includes the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube Delta, a World Natural Heritage site and the largest in Europe, which is home to many wild animals like 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 hope people take their time to see it.

Personally, I highly recommend climbing the Carpathian Mountains. I started a mountaineering club within the embassy and climbed many mountains all over.

Actually, Romania has the highest population of brown bears in Europe. However, brown bears don't go to the very top of the mountains. They only go up to the tree line, which is about 1,600 meters. So, if you take a cable car to a higher 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's almost nothing like that there. Great nature remains just as it is. Looking far into the distance, there are many birds, and it's a very beautiful sight. I believe Romania's treasures are its beautiful nature in addition to the kindness of its people.

"Romania" means "Land of the Romans." In the 2nd and 3rd centuries 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 they start from.

Being descendants of Romans is a source of pride for them. The current Romanian national anthem is a battle song used to boost morale during independence from the Ottoman Empire. Its lyrics say, "Do not forget that the blood of our ancestors, the Romans, flows in us" and "Trajan (the Roman Emperor) is the one 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 bit further. 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 thriving. Since joining the EU in 2007, Romania has an environment where various products can be developed and tested to EU standards. Romanians are also well-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 considered EU products, allowing for free trade within the union. 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 channel that frustration and their spirit of resistance into arts such as music and literature. Along with the beauty of nature, I believe such things have crystallized within Romanian culture.

In the old 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 huge impact and a powerful way of appealing to the audience. I believe the pride, frustration, and thoughts of the Romanian people are all contained within their music, legends, and folklore, and that comes across very strongly.

Every year, nearly 20 young people from Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, go to help out at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Why doesn't Koga City consider doing the same?

I see. By the way, I was in the drama club in high school, so maybe I should be the first to go (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 massive, with participants from over 70 countries worldwide. From Japan, famous figures like Kanzaburo Nakamura and Hideki Noda have performed there in years when Sibiu was chosen as the European Capital of Culture.

The stage is great, but what's charming is that the entire city of Sibiu, a German-influenced town in Transylvania, becomes art. Factories and churches turn into theaters, circuses are held in squares, and street performances and dances take place on the 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 not just on stage, but in their daily lives. It would be great if we could have an exchange between such children. I'd also love to see the Mayor perform in a play in Sibiu (laughs).

Koga City also has a theater troupe formed by citizens. While theater is a performing art, I believe it leads to communication in daily life. Our very lives and daily existence should possess a theatrical quality. And since I believe there is human communication and a connection of hearts there, I thought what you just said was very lovely.

In terms of Japanese culture, there is a very strong interest in martial arts like 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. Only three athletes—one woman and two men—competed in the Olympics, but 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 both sides could enjoy themselves.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we couldn't go to cheer them on at the actual Olympics, and they couldn't come for a camp, but we created an opportunity for children to send their cheers online.

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

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 love to visit Cluj-Napoca.

Oh, it's a beautiful place.

Cluj-Napoca is the hub for Romanian judo athletes. The head coach of the Romanian national team is a Japanese man named Kohei Oishi, and Mr. Oishi is also based there. We've been talking about how it would be nice to establish a sister-city-like partnership and friendly relations between our 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's one of the central cities of the Transylvania region, and most Japanese companies expanding there 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 widely understood.

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

It uses a seasoning made from fermented wheat. As you said, it's very varied; they put in beef, pork, fish, and some places even add noodles.

The seasoning can be tomato-based, or lighter—there are various bases. However, one serving is quite large, like a bowl filled to the brim. A bowl of Ciorba is almost enough on its own. So, having four bowls come out... (laughs).

Exactly. Four bowls came out when one would have been enough (laughs). Some of them even contained 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 definitely 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, I 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 wish it would spread all over Japan!

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

Even if it's your first time eating Romanian food, it feels easy to eat and nostalgic. How did you find it?

It suits the Japanese palate. I thought it was very easy to eat.

I often say it's like "(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 things that feel like they've eaten them 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, and you can always eat the best handmade preserved foods. 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 was.

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

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

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

As you say, 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 known.

And as Mr. Amamiya said, people make wine at home. It's a form of hospitality to say, "Come drink our wine" (laughs). Since so-called home wine is the mainstream, there are areas where premium wine hasn'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 cheap, Italian clothing manufacturers make them in Romania and sell them overseas as Italian products.

They have various technologies like that, 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 appearing little by little. I later found out 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 bought two IE outfits, one for men and one for women, at the city hall.

Oh, then you're all set to go 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'm going to Romania," she said, "That's nice for you, a place with lots of sheep."

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

They don't just spin it for costumes; because it's a cold region, they also make jackets to throw on, as well as carpets and tapestries to decorate the house, and some made of wool are very colorful. In some regions, such items are part of a traditional dowry.

I think Japanese people would like IE too. It felt very good when I tried it on.

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

Since WWII, 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 come into contact with its original culture.

But it's a bright country. Romanian people are somewhat fatalistic, and while they have a quiet side of enduring being surrounded by major powers, they also have a very bright and passionate side. I think it would be good if this aspect were introduced to Japan a bit more.

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

To spread Romania more to the world, I'm thinking it might be good to create an official Dracula, like an official Santa Claus, and certify them in each country (laughs).

Dracula is a hero to Romanians.

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

Dracul comes from being a member of the Order of the Dragon, which was created in the 13th or 14th century centered around the King of Hungary. It seems his son was called Dracula (Son of the Dragon).

Bram Stoker, an Irish writer from the British era, became famous for writing a novel using him as material, but for Romania, I think he is a hero who fought fiercely against the Ottoman Turks.

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

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

Not only Vlad the Impaler, but also the monarchs who fought Turkey 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 standpoint of someone involved in town planning, I'd like people to start with Dracula and go to Bran Castle. If there are other attractive people and history beyond that, I want them to make great use of it as a Romania support group. There's almost no one who doesn't know 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. Then, an exchange of notes ceremony for a Japanese yen loan for the construction of the Bucharest subway was held, and based on Japanese aid, a subway 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 it 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 there will be more visits by dignitaries on the occasion of the 100th anniversary.

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 at the Revolution Square there. Many Romanian names are derived from flowers, and the custom of giving flowers to each other is also popular.

I think attention will be focused on cities where events and things that match past history with modern glamorous aspects are held. While Romania has old-fashioned landscapes like idyllic rural scenery, 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 (laughs).

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

By the way, Koga City is a city 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, I also remembered the time when I was running around earnestly in Romania 10 years ago. I hope that the "100th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Romania" this year will be an opportunity to further promote mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields.