Is Switzerland the Japan of Europe?
Exploring the similarities between the land of fondue and sushi island
For seven years I lived in Tokyo, Japan. More often than not, when I revealed to a Japanese person that I originated from Switzerland, I’d be told something along the lines of, “Ahhh. Swissu! That’s the Japan of Europe.” To many Japanese, Switzerland reminds them of Japan.
Last year I moved back to Switzerland — my first time living here as an adult, and the “Switzerland is the Japan of Europe” thing has been rattling around in my head since. Although this is certainly somewhat of a generalization, in more ways than one there does seem to be some truth to it. Why do the Japanese think Switzerland is like Japan? Rather than being academic, this article takes a fun, loose look at some similarities.
In a report published (in Japanese) by the Japan Student Services Organization on her 2018 oversea stay in Switzerland at the University of Bern, Keio University student Mayu Kamiya (神谷 真由) muses, “As I arrived in Switzerland, I began to hear that many Swiss people are shy and keep to themselves. I don’t encounter many people who were willing to talk to me when I meet them for the first time. This is like Japanese people, so it almost didn’t feel like I was in a foreign country at first.” Kamiya is referring to how both…
