INDEX
The comfort of a country where many cultures are mixed
Celeina: Ms.Okamoto selected the song “99 Luftballons” by Nena.
Takano: When I heard the song, I thought “This is it!” It’s catchy and nice.
Celeina: It is impressive. Ms.Okamoto, do you live in an area of Switzerland where German is spoken?
Okamoto：Yes, I do. Switzerland has four official languages, and I live in an area where German is the main language, with a little bit of French. There are also Italian and Romansh, four languages that are said to be disappearing languages that are a mixture of German and Italian. So the description on the product package is written in at least three languages.
Celeina：I have a question. In Switzerland, is it difficult to communicate in English, which you studied in England?
Okamoto：No. Even elderly people can understand me, so it seems that everyone can speak at least three languages (two languages plus English).
Takano: That’s pretty impressive.
Celeina: It’s amazing.
Okamoto: When I am in Switzerland, I feel that I need to study French a little more. If you are in a German-speaking country, German culture is strong, and if you are in a French-speaking country, French culture is strong, so there is a mix of many different cultures, and it feels good not to be in one place.
Celeina：It’s an environment where you can come into contact with many different things, rather than having one fixed thing.
Okamoto：It is very neutral. Politically, it is a neutral country, but it is also very neutral in terms of culture, and I like the sense of transparency.
Celeina：I like that. Japan is an island nation, so there is quite a difference from Switzerland.
Okamoto：Japan has one language and a diverse culture, but it is based on the basic Japanese culture. Switzerland is totally different and there is no conflict. Switzerland is a country that was created from a disjointed state to begin with.
