Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
YAMAGUCHI Satoru

I took up my post in Bulgaria in March 2018. This is a beautiful country with a rich natural world. When a Japanese person hears “Bulgaria,” the first thing that comes to their mind is probably yoghurt, followed by roses. This country may not really be known for anything else within Japan, but Japanese and Japanese culture have roots in Bulgaria as a result of long years of exchange between the two countries.

The entrance of a school in which Sofia University students teach Japanese

There are Japan Enthusiasts in Bulgaria

I have been dispatched to Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (hereinafter “Sofia University”) in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Japanese-language education in Bulgaria began at this very university in 1968. Now, around 50 years later, there are many people in Bulgaria who are interested in Japan. There are five higher educational institutions and six primary/secondary educational institutions that teach Japanese, as well as private schools. There are also lots of dojos (training halls) for martial arts such as judo, karate, and kendo. The sumo wrestlers Kotooshu and Aoiyama are both from Bulgaria. There are also schools and clubs for the tea ceremony, ikebana (flower arrangement), haiku (poem), and more. Pop culture such as Japanese anime and music is widely enjoyed at events such as cultural festivals.

Shot of a presentation at Promoting Japan 2018,
an academic conference in Varshets

Almost as soon as I’d taken up my post, I was offered an opportunity to participate in “Promoting Japan 2018,” an academic conference planned and held by Sofia University with the support of the Japan Foundation (hereinafter the “JF”). At the conference, researchers of Japan from Bulgaria and other countries gave presentations on a wide range of fields, including introductions to Japanese culture that has spread around Bulgaria, such as literature, translation, educational methods, and hot-spring culture. One teacher from the University of Veliko Tarnovo introduced activities connected to Japan that have spread across Bulgaria, and a teacher from Sofia University gave a presentation on Japan’s hot-spring culture; both demonstrated their extensive knowledge. I was dazzled by the achievements of the passion of the Japan enthusiasts in front of my eyes in this distant land. Incidentally, the conference took place in Varshets, a spa town in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is a major hot-spring country, and served as the location of the movie Thermae Romae.

The Work of People dispatched by the JF

The JF started dispatching Japanese-Language Specialists to Bulgaria in 1981. At the moment, one Japanese-Language Specialist (hereinafter “JF Specialist”) and one Japanese-Language Assistant (hereinafter “JF Assistant”) from the JF have been sent to Bulgaria. (Unfortunately, the dispatch of JF Assistant has finished in February 2019.)

The current work of the JF Specialist and JF Assistant in 2018 is to run Japanese-language classes for students of Sofia University from their first to fourth years, to offer guidance on speeches to the Sofia University entrants to the Bulgaria Japanese Speech Contest and to assist in running the contest, and to lend a hand with all kinds of cultural events.

Spring: The Japanese Speech Contest

There are all sorts of events in the spring, including hanami (flower viewing), the Japanese speech contest, and the cultural festival. We run these with the cooperation of many different people, including Bulgarians who are involved in local Japanese-language education, the “Nihon Tomo no Kai,” the Club “Friends of Japan in Bulgaria”, and the Japanese Embassy. This also includes the JF Specialist and JF Assistant.

Learners from two higher educational institutions and three secondary/primary educational institutions, plus other independent learners, participated in the Japanese speech contest held in April 2018. The winner of the intermediate category, a student from the University of Veliko Tarnovo, said in their speech that “I was saved by Japan,” and spoke about their love for Japan based on their own experiences; the winner of the elementary category was from Sofia University, saying in their speech “Humans may be imperfect, but we may be able to become perfect by complementing each other,” and brought up the importance of accepting diversity. The speeches from high school students and independent learners were also overflowing with words that made us think. When the JF Specialist (myself) and the JF Assistant participated in another event, the people who came told us, “The words said by the students presenting from that school have stayed with me, even today.” Holding cultural exchange events and offering language education means creating connections between people. Being able to involve myself in parts of these initiatives through my work with the JF gives me moments in which I feel great honor.

Summer: Japanese-Language Camp

Summer means camp. One of the big annual events connected to Japanese-language education in Bulgaria is the Japanese Language and Culture Summer Camp in Balkan Peninsula. The Camp has mainly been run by Sofia University every year from 2012, with support from the JF. Participants don’t just come from Bulgaria; they gather from neighboring countries as well. The theme of the 2018 Camp was “humor.” Participating students performed Rakugo (storytelling) with the guidance of Bulgarian teachers. The watching Bulgarians were doubled up with laughter.

Participants of the Camp were also provided with a cultural experience via kendo demonstrations and guidance by a teacher from Sofia University who is a kendo instructor. The manager of the hotel has a Japanese friend, and I heard that the manager’s son was also learning a Japanese martial art. The parent and child watched with enthusiasm. The location of the Camp was quite deep in the mountains. It was a surprise to me that Japanese culture had spread that far.

Fall: Seminar

The “Seminar of Japanese Language and Culture Education in Bulgaria” is held in the fall. This is also supported by the JF, and is run by the University of Veliko Tarnovo. The theme for the 2018 academic year was “Japanese cultural and language events held in Bulgaria and motivation for learners.” The JF Specialist (me) took the role of the keynote speaker and gave a talk on the significance of running cultural activities. All of the Bulgarian teachers who participated in the seminar were brimming with passion for Japanese-language education, and hoped for their learners to experience the same joy as themselves in connection with Japanese. A teacher who participated from Varna said they had the beginnings of a cold on the day of the seminar. That teacher had around 200 learners in their class, and was teaching them alone. I was humbled by the fact that they had come all this way to participate in the seminar.

There are a lot of fans of Japan in Bulgaria. Japanese-language education is built on their passion. I want Bulgaria’s love for Japan to be more widely known in Japan. I hope the exchanges between these two countries continue forever.