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The 34th Cross Cultural Event was held.
On March 16, iCONM held a Cross-Cultural Event for its staff members, facility users, and representatives from Kawasaki City and the Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion. In this session, Ms. Ane Usatorre, an intern from Universitat Internacional de Catalunya currently affiliated with the Kataoka & Kinoh Lab at iCONM, introduced the Basque Country, where her hometown of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the region, is located.
The Basque Country is located in northern Spain, near the border with France. In this region, in addition to Spanish, a unique language known as Basque is spoken. Basque is considered one of the oldest languages in Europe, and it is said to have no confirmed genealogical relationship with any other language. Interestingly, however, some words—such as “bakarrik” (meaning “only”) and “anai” (meaning “older brother”)—bear similarities in both meaning and pronunciation to Japanese, and a theory suggesting a possible connection with Japan was also introduced. Following this, she shared her recommendations on tourism and food culture. Among the tourist attractions highlighted was a church appearing to float on the sea, which was used as a filming location for the drama Game of Thrones. As for cuisine, dishes such as chuletón (a large steak), entrecôte, pintxos, and Basque cheesecake—many of which are also popular in Japan—were introduced. In addition, she touched on traditional clothing and sports, as well as the region’s rich natural environment.
Many participants showed particular interest in the Basque language, as evidenced by the numerous questions they asked about this unique language. In addition, since the Basque Country is the birthplace of well-known dishes such as Basque cheesecake, it seems likely that many participants may have wanted to experience these authentic flavors firsthand.
