For many Japanese people, Georgia is a country whose name is familiar, but whose details become surprisingly difficult to explain.
Even the way the country became familiar in Japan is a little unusual.
For many years, Japan officially referred to Georgia as Gurujia, a name derived from the Russian form. Japan changed the official name to Georgia after a request from the Georgian government.
Because of that, some Japanese people still recognize the old name more easily. Others hear “Georgia” and first think of the U.S. state.
There is another complication.
Japan has long had a popular canned coffee brand called GEORGIA.
So even people who know little about the country may find the word “Georgia” strangely familiar.
One thing that brought the country much closer to Japan was sumo.
The most prominent figure was Tochinoshin.
He was a powerful wrestler, spoke Japanese, and appeared regularly on Japanese television. For some people in Japan, he was the first reason to consciously think, “So this is a wrestler from Georgia.”
Other Georgian wrestlers, including Gagamaru, also competed in professional sumo.
Interestingly, the Embassy of Georgia in Japan itself has noted the important role Georgian sumo wrestlers played in raising awareness of the country in Japan.
Sumo therefore became more than a sport connecting the two countries.
Geography is where things often become less certain.
Some Japanese people may know that Georgia lies in the Caucasus, near the Black Sea, between Russia and Turkey. But many would have a much harder time picturing the streets of Tbilisi.
The Georgian alphabet creates a similar reaction.
Its rounded, distinctive letters may look familiar, yet many people would not immediately be able to identify them as Georgian.
The same can happen with photographs of old churches standing among dramatic mountains. The scenery may look memorable without the viewer realizing that it is Georgia.
That captures something important about how Georgia is perceived in Japan.
People may have seen it. They may have heard about it. But the individual pieces have not always been connected into one clear image of “Georgia.”
Once those pieces start connecting, the country becomes much more interesting.
Wine is a good example.
Georgia has an ancient tradition of making wine in large earthenware vessels called qvevri, which are buried in the ground. The traditional qvevri wine-making method is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
When Japanese people think of wine, France or Italy may come to mind first. Discovering the depth of Georgia’s wine tradition can therefore be a surprise.
There is also a nice continuation of the sumo connection: after retiring, Tochinoshin became involved in introducing Georgian wine to Japan.
Food created another unexpected link.
Shkmeruli, a chicken dish cooked with garlic and a creamy dairy-based sauce, became much better known in Japan after the Japanese beef-bowl chain Matsuya added it to its menu.
People who had never thought about trying Georgian cuisine suddenly encountered it at an ordinary restaurant they already used.
Khachapuri and khinkali may still be less widely known in Japan.
That only makes the next discovery more interesting: there is much more Georgian food beyond the one dish that happened to become famous.
Another person has helped make Georgia feel closer to Japan.
Georgia’s ambassador to Japan, Teimuraz Lezhava, communicates actively in Japanese and appears in Japanese media.
Some people may recognize him even if their knowledge of Georgia itself is still limited. He has longstanding ties to Japan, including experience studying and working there.
Georgia is a country whose name is known in Japan, but it would still be difficult to say that it is widely understood in detail.
And yet the entry points are surprisingly close to everyday Japanese life.
Sumo. Food. A country name that looks like a familiar coffee brand. An ambassador who communicates in Japanese.
Once those separate pieces are connected, people start realizing:
“That was Georgia too.”
Georgia is, for many Japanese people, a country that becomes clearer the more they learn about it.
References
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, materials on the official name change from “Gurujia” to “Georgia” and basic information on Georgia
- Embassy of Georgia in Japan, ambassador information and official materials
- UNESCO, “Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method”
- Georgian National Tourism Administration, related materials
- Japan Sumo Association, materials related to Georgian sumo wrestlers
- Matsuya Foods, materials related to Shkmeruli
