Japan. Sushi, Kimono, and Cherry Blossoms. A country so diverse in the places you can visit. You can go skiing in Hokaido, visit the largest city in the world, Tokyo, or relax at the beach in Okinawa. For a lot of people, Japan is a place they want to visit once in their lifetime. But why do people in Switzerland particularly adore this country so much? What do people find so magical and enchanting? How come Japan has become so much more popular as a destination than other Asian countries such as South Korea?
Perhaps it lies in what the two nations have in common. Both Switzerland and Japan have a reputation for being very polite, clean and punctual. Maybe this creates a bond of unity. Both countries are known for their natural landscapes, but also for their good public transport and education systems. Switzerland counts as one of the top travel destinations for Japanese people, who love to visit the mountains and the old cities. Switzerland is the seventh most popular European travel destination for the Japanese. The Swiss are equally enthusiastic about visiting Japan. To check this point in “real life” I undertook a “cross-sectional” survey in Zurich. I asked 50 people, between the ages of 12 to 45, if they ever want to visit Japan or have already visited it. 85% of my survey participants said they want to visit Japan once in their life or revisit it. Particularly interesting is how the younger generation seems to know more about Japan than the older generations. They associate Japan with cherry blossoms, red lanterns and most of all sushi.
I interviewed Yoko Nakamura. She grew up in Japan and has lived in Switzerland since 2010. She teaches Japanese at the University St. Gallen. She is a publicly certified translator and an interpreter. Mrs. Nakamura has worked with the Japanese media companies Kyodo News Agency, TBS Television and Asahi Newspaper. She says that the perceived similarities are real. In both countries nature is valued and looked after. For Switzerland, Japan is a remote country, but with the same standards: it is clean, modern and functional. The same applies to Switzerland for the Japanese. Mrs. Nakamura thinks: “Because of this, Swiss people are probably more interested and open to Japanese culture and people than they are with other, for example the Chinese.” She also thinks that people in Switzerland tend to travel more, which leads to more people in Switzerland who either want to travel to Japan or already have.
Mrs. Nakamura adds: “I think the anime culture and in general the whole pop and TV culture in Japan has made a huge impact. An example is the TV-show “Takeshi’s Castle” , which was broadcasted worldwide in the mid 80s. Also, internationally award-winning movies like Hana-bi or Spirited Away (Studio Ghilbi) ensure that more people look into Japan and that it has become trendy.“ She also cites J‑Pop and manga culture as being influential in Switzerland. Another reason why Japan could be seen as trendy is the idea of all Japanese food to be healthy. “Because eating vegetarian and vegan has become more and more popular in Europe, Japanese food has also become more popular, because it’s very often available without meat or animal products. Tofu – so popular among vegetarians and vegans – comes from Japan. Traditionally though, almost every meal includes a meat component.”
A study by the World Economic Forum shows that Japanese people actually live longer – to some extent because of what they eat. It revealed that, in 2015, Japan and Okinawa were in the top two places for the number of centenarians. This is partly in their genes, but also comes from the food they consume. Mrs. Nakamura says: “Japanese food can be really healthy, but it doesn’t mean that all Japanese food is healthy. That is a misconception. There are a lot of fried meat dishes and noodle soups, which aren’t incredibly healthy.” If you go into a modern Japanese restaurant in Switzerland you can see a lot more vegetarian or vegan options. You can see how normal supermarkets have started to offer more and more Japanese products. In general the international, Asian food section has expanded, but Japanese food is the biggest part.
People love the food, the colours, and traditional temples and houses. Through anime and manga, young people started to come into contact with Japanese culture and through an increasing number of restaurants and shops, people got more and more experience in Japanese food and snacks. Japan’s scenery and the traditional houses create an almost enchanted feeling for a lot of people in Switzerland. No wonder so many of them seem to be saving up for holidays in the land of the rising sun.
