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The 36th Cross Cultural Event was held.
On June 15, 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, Mr. Luca Protti, an intern from the University of Iceland currently affiliated with the Kataoka & Kinoh Lab at iCONM, introduced Italian culture and history, as well as Milan, his hometown.
The presentation first introduced Italy’s geography, population, area, major religions, and other related topics. Through comparisons with Japan, participants were able to learn about Italy’s characteristics, including the fact that while the two countries do not differ greatly in size, Italy’s population is approximately half that of Japan.
Next, Italian culture and history were introduced, ranging from the ancient Roman Empire and the Renaissance to modern lifestyles. In particular, during the introduction of famous Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello, Luca also shared his unique perspective that these names were later adopted for the characters of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The presentation then moved on to Italian food culture, explaining how different ingredients and dishes developed in northern and southern Italy. In northern Italy, dishes such as risotto, Fiorentina steak, and polenta, which make use of butter, rice, and aged cheeses, are widely enjoyed. In contrast, southern Italian cuisine features many dishes made with olive oil, seafood, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese, and pasta culture was also introduced as having developed in the south. In addition, meals are not simply a means of nourishment but are considered a part of the culture itself, and it was explained that spending long hours around the table enjoying conversation with family and friends is deeply rooted in Italian life.
The latter half of the presentation focused on Milan, Luca’s hometown. Milan was introduced as a city that has developed as a center of Italy’s economy and fashion. The audience also learned about the culture of aperitivo, a tradition of enjoying light snacks and drinks after work before dinner. Local specialties such as Risotto alla Milanese, Ossobuco, and Cotoletta alla Milanese were also introduced, and hearing about these dishes alone was enough to make the audience feel hungry. Furthermore, several characteristics often associated with Italians were introduced, including their frequent use of gestures, their love of espresso, their passion for football, and their tendency to speak loudly. There was also a humorous discussion of the stereotype that some Italians speak English with a strong accent and sound like Super Mario.
Finally, Luca explained that if people have an opportunity to visit Italy, learning even a few simple Italian phrases would be appreciated by the local people. He introduced several useful Italian expressions, including Buongiorno (“Good morning/Hello”) and Grazie (“Thank you”). Although many people have the image that Italy is the country of pizza, this event provided an opportunity to learn about the country’s diverse attractions, including its history, art, food culture, and way of life.
