Kansai Window

"Kansai Daisuki!" (I Love Kansai!) is a web page where foreigners living in Kansai talks about the charm of Kansai.

KANSAI!ダイスキ画像

The 8th
Osaka Kyoiku University Lecturer Alpha International Patent &Law Office Adviser Life & Culture Inc. the branch manager of japan Doctor of Arts in Language and Culture
Mr. Chang Kigwon



		In his homeland, the Republic of Korea, Mr. Cho was originally involved in activities, programs and publications about traditional Korean culture. This led to an interest in traditional Japanese culture, such as Noh, Kyogen and Kabuki, which attracted him to come to Japan in 1989. On completion of a post-graduate course at Osaka University he received a Doctorate in Linguistic Cultural Studies. His research and studies into Japanese Culture continued on while he taught Korean language, Korean culture and comparative cultural studies. At the same time he also busied himself introducing Japanese culture into Korea.

July, 2002

"Even from around the time of my university days, I had the sense that perhaps traditional Japanese performance art was somehow related to traditional Korean performance art. When I came to Japan I was thinking I would probably stay for two or three years, but my interest in the country grew beyond that of the people and their way of thinking, towards Japanese stories and traditional performance art. So, in order to study further, I entered Osaka University. Initially, I just wanted to give it a try, but I found my interest developing even more and my research began to progress. Ultimately, I ended up with my doctorate."

At first Mr. Cho lived in Nara on a home-stay basis but, since being involved with Osaka University, has lived in Suita and Toyonaka. So for this interview we asked him to tell us what he likes most about Osaka and Kansai, their culture and people. Apparently, he tells us, in terms of character and nature, Kansai people have much in common with Korean people. However, he finds the rivalry between Kansai and Kanto interesting, in particular the leadership spirit of the people in Kanto versus the independent spirit of those in Kansai.

"I like the area where I am living at the moment, which is in the vicinity of Toyonaka, Suita, Ikeda, Ibaragi and Takatsuki. It is not just because the area has a lot of greenery. I really like the gentleness of colors in the Osaka and Hokusetsu areas, the softness in Osaka colors. and I want to say there are places like this in Osaka. Then I feel relaxed in Nara. I like Asuka, Sakurai, Tenri, also the Yamanobe-no-michi (Yamanobe Way), Horyu-ji Temple and Hase-dera Temple. I feel close to Nature in Kansai, too. The beauty of the Totsugawa and Kumanokawa river valleys and the grand views of Lake Biwa and Amano-hashidate are utterly magnificent.

Of the people in Kansai, those in Osaka are often described as Japan's toughest characters or the most vocal and excitable. On the other hand, they are also truly friendly and caring, characteristics that are precisely those that appeal to most Koreans. Similarly, people in Kansai love to laugh and to make others laugh. Because whispering is no fun, they tend to speak louder and louder while talking, another characteristic that ordinary Korean people share.
The sincerity, honesty and sense of order the Japanese people practice are values they can be most proud of anywhere in the world. People in Kansai of course have these attributes but, additionally, I feel they offer a particular warm heartedness. Sometimes I think that the people in Tokyo and Kanto could learn a lot from the warm nature of Kansai people."

In May this year, a Flower Expo was held on Anhung Island. Mr. Cho guided some students studying hangul from the Kansai region as a friendship activity. This picture shows true exchange between Korea and Kansai.

At Osaka University, at the same time as pursuing his research, Mr. Cho has been busy introducing Japanese culture in Korean magazines, newspapers and other media. He showed this interviewer some of those magazines, and we learned that he has been representing a magazine as head of the publisher's Japan office. Showing us one issue he elaborated. "Here we featured Nara as the origins of Japanese History. We introduced Nara under a wide range of subjects, including Asuka, Hase-dera Temple, Tanzan-jinja Shirine, festivals and the antler-cutting of deers. Another volume covers Kyoto. Kamogawa River, Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Heian-jingu Shrine and Byodo-in Temple in Uji."
He went on to say that his primary aim, when talking about Kansai, is to introduce the region's many finer points to the people in his homeland. In recent years, the number of Korean people interested in Japanese culture has markedly increased, and some of them have taken that interest to a professional and specialist level.

"Naturally Korean people usually look to Tokyo, the capital region, as part of an image that Tokyo is Japan. However, what I want to make clear is that Kansai is the region that most Korean people can identify with. For example, if we compare some cities, Kyoto is similar to Korea's ancient city of Kyongju. Likewise, the atmosphere in Nara and Asuka resembles that in ... and ..., the former capitals of Kudara (the old country of the 4th to 7th century Korean peninsula.)"

"One of the things I wrote was to say that Kanto and Kansai are the two pillars of Japan but that we tend to only look at Tokyo. But actually, in several aspects, Kansai is the original home of Japan's history and culture. So, as in this case, when somebody in Korea asks me to write something about Japan, I always try to write about Kansai."

We mentioned to Mr. Cho that Kansai Window has one section called 'Places Connected to Korea' (Kankoku Yukarino Chi) which introduces some aspects of Korean culture now established in Kansai. Mr. Cho commented "I would like my people to know more about these issues. I think Kansai written in hangul is essential for the Koreans."

Mr. Cho feels Kansai has recently made great progress in efforts to promote the hangul system of writing and Korean Culture, thanks in no small part to the World Cup, an event that provided major opportunities. "Now, for example, in city offices around the Hokusetsu region, on documents for Family Registers, Resident Registrations and National Health Insurance, many are printing hangul letters alongside the Japanese characters. It is also a promising sign to now see guidebooks written in the Korean language for Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Castle.'

Mr. Cho introduces Japanese culture to Korean newspapers and other mass media. Today Mr. Cho kindly showed us examples.

Mr. Cho teaches hangul and comparative cultural studies at Osaka Kyoiku University and Baika Women's College, so we asked him how he compares Japanese and Korean students. "In such a comparison, Korean students do seem more lively and pro-active in making their opinions known. Even during lectures, they will raise their hand to ask a question or to state an opinion. Of course, when I ask them for an opinion, without fail somebody will say what I expect them to say. But giving an opinion is proof that the students are thinking about the issue. So, from that point of view, and in giving opinions, it could be said that Korean students seem to be better students, or at least more student-like, than their Japanese fellows."

"Another difference, I would say, is that Korean students don't tend to fall sleep or play with their portable phones. I am not talking about in years gone by, but about the students of today. Japanese students do attend almost all their classes without fail, but they do go to sleep or fiddle with their phones. They are obviously too relaxed while together with similar students. Unfortunately I think such behavior is evidence that Japanese college students nowadays are losing their ability for independency and self-judgment. Furthermore, their ability to concentrate, to express and to write is weakening. College student problems are piling up and before it becomes too late, I feel we must try and rebuild Japanese education with the full cooperation of colleges, society, families and everyone. Of course, most of all, university and college staff must not give up tackling the problems. They must not simply teach their special subject, they need to fully relate to their students and endeavor to provide them with an education that influences their intellect, personalities and future."

The Internet is now more widely spread in South Korea than in Japan, and South Korea is now a world leader for Information Technology. Kansai Window is also channeling a lot of news and information in hangul, and hoping to increase more of such information from Japan. Therefore we asked Mr. Cho about South Korea's current internet environment. "Japan's delay in starting internet development is a big issue. People in Korea are at least one or two years ahead of those in Japan in the IT field. But because of that, there are still many things that can be done in Kansai. I sometimes conduct questionnaires at my colleges, and have asked students how much internet surfing they do at home, or if they use standard modems, ADSL or fiber optics. There, I can see differences clearly between Japan and South Korea. Over 90% of Korean students have ADSL or faster net access in their own rooms and use the internet almost daily. At the university level, they use computers everyday."

Mr. Cho has recently joined up with one of South Korea's major law corporations and been appointed their Japan representative. So he is now also involved in helping South Korean and Japanese companies to make deals, in technology transfer and consulting. "As Korea's research ability has improved greatly, I have recently been involved in Korean car manufacturing technology. For example, recently, we had some negotiations involving a major Japanese manufacturer that is buying Korean car technology. This technology transfer is something of a reverse transfer as, until now, it was usually Japanese technology going to Korea. Sometimes, Korean end products were then imported back to Japan but never the other way round. Currently, negotiations are underway with a company in Osaka to sell Korean technology. Also I have been consulting to a major Korean company starting a new business to sell the products of small and medium sized companies from Osaka. So between South Korea and Kansai, there is still enormous potential for joint business ventures, importing and exporting both technology and products."

Mr. Cho also discussed sporting relations between the two countries. "Thanks to the World Cup, demand is increasing between the J league and K league. There is almost no difference between the Japanese and Korean national teams, although during the World Cup, Korea maybe did a little better than Japan. But when the two leagues are compared, the J league is relatively advanced. Several Korean national members have come to Japan to play in the J league. And conversely, some of those J league players not selected as members, or given a chance but who hope to play somewhere else, are putting their hands up to go to Korea even if their pay may fall. I would like to introduce many more Korean players to the J league. And in reverse, I also hope to send players from Kansai teams to the K league, or to have more partnership relationships between the teams of both countries." The last World Cup was the first time the event had ever been held jointly. Mr. Cho says he was elated from the moment the co-hosting of Japan and Korea was decided.

Mr. Cho continued the interview excitedly, talking even more about sports, including about the Hanshin Tigers. "The joint-holding of the World Cup was really good. Looking at the result, Japan fulfilled its original aim to rank in the top 16. But Korea, on the other hand, did far better than anyone expected. They made the top 4, a result that of course brought great joy to the Koreans but was also a good result for the Japanese people and our bi-lateral relationship. Many Japanese people around me cheered more and more for Korea as our team progressed. All the TV channel commentators were encouraging Korea to win as Japan's partner country, and I even received E-mails from Japanese fans saying how impressed they were by the match between Korea and Italy. So all this was another sense in which it was very good that the Koreans made it to the top 4."

"My love for Kansai becomes quite obvious through sport. For baseball, I naturally support Hanshin and Kintetsu and I am always really pleased when I read the newspaper sports page and see that Hanshin has won a match. And it's the same for Kintetsu. I want Kintetsu to win the championship and beat Seibu. Ultimately my dream is to have both Hanshin and Kintetsu in the Japan Series. In J league soccer, I support Gamba Osaka and Seresso Osaka, but I also want Purple Sanga and Vissel Kobe to do well. So accurately speaking, I am not just a Hanshin fan or Gamba fan, but a Kansai fan. My true feelings as a Kansai fan come out well in High School Baseball at Koshien. For example, when the Osaka Perfect Liberty (PL) school has to play against a Tokyo school, I automatically cheer for PL. Or if it is Chiben-Wakayama verses Yokohama, I support Chiben-Wakayama. This is when I realize myself that I am truly a Kansai person. But this summer when Chiben-Wakayama had to play against Nara-Chiben, I was torn," he laughed.