For Japanese people, Italy is a country where impressions of style, beauty, and coolness have built up across many different fields.
The most familiar starting point is probably food.
Pasta, pizza, gelato, tiramisu. Italian food is not only common in restaurants but has also become part of everyday home cooking in Japan.
At the same time, some dishes have developed in uniquely Japanese ways.
Napolitan, for example, sounds Italian but is actually a Japanese spaghetti dish. It is a Japanese dish rather than a traditional Italian one, yet its existence shows just how deeply Italian food culture has become rooted in Japan.
Italy is also easy to picture as a travel destination.
Rome brings to mind the Colosseum and the Vatican. Venice means canals and gondolas. Florence suggests the Renaissance, Milan fashion, and Naples pizza. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is also widely recognized as one of Italy’s iconic sights.
Rome has also been shaped in the Japanese imagination through film.
Roman Holiday is extremely well known in Japan and has helped create a lasting sense of romance around places such as the Spanish Steps and the streets of Rome.
Long before actually visiting Italy, Japanese people also encounter the country through school and culture.
They learn about the Roman Empire in history classes and come across names such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in art.
In music, even people who do not usually listen to opera may know Luciano Pavarotti. As one of the Three Tenors, he became widely known in Japan, even among people who were not regular classical-music listeners.
In other words, many Japanese people encounter Italy repeatedly through school, film, art, and music before ever traveling there.
Fashion has strengthened another powerful image of Italy.
In Japan, the words Made in Italy themselves can carry a sense of style, good design, and something slightly special.
Even people who do not buy them may recognize names such as Gucci, Prada, and Armani.
One Italian who became especially familiar through Japanese television is Girolamo Panzetta.
He has appeared on variety shows and other programs for many years and became widely known as a stylish and cheerful Italian man.
His presence also helped make the image of the fashionable, outgoing Italian man more familiar in Japan.
Cars add another layer.
Ferrari and Lamborghini are among the best-known Italian brands, and Ferrari is also closely connected with Formula 1.
Japan has had a long-standing F1 fan base, and the sight of a red Ferrari racing car is recognizable even to some people who do not follow motorsport closely.
For F1 fans, Monza, home of the Italian Grand Prix, and the passionate Ferrari supporters known as the tifosi may also come to mind.
Football has created an even more direct connection between Italy and Japan.
When Serie A was regarded as one of the strongest leagues in the world, Italian stars such as Roberto Baggio were also popular in Japan.
Then Japanese players began appearing there.
Hidetoshi Nakata played for Perugia and later Roma, among other clubs. Yuto Nagatomo played for Inter, while Keisuke Honda joined AC Milan.
An Italian coach also became part of Japanese football history.
Alberto Zaccheroni managed the Japan national team and led it to victory in the 2011 Asian Cup.
For Japanese football fans, then, Italy has not simply been a distant football powerhouse. It has also been a place where Japanese players tested themselves and where an Italian coach led Japan’s own national team.
Of course, the Japanese image of Italy is not entirely based on admiration.
People planning a trip to Italy often come across warnings about pickpocketing. As a result, the desire to walk through beautiful Italian cities can coexist with a sense that travelers should also be careful.
Even so, the impressions Japanese people have gathered from Italy across very different fields often point in a surprisingly similar direction.
There is usually something a little glamorous, stylish, or simply cool about it.
For Japanese people, Italy is not attractive for just one reason. Its appeal comes from many different fields, yet they often leave the same impression: Italy somehow feels stylish, glamorous, and cool.
References
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, “Basic Data on the Italian Republic” and “Japan-Italy Relations”
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Information on Italy
- Italian National Tourist Board materials
- UNESCO materials on World Heritage sites in Italy
- Vatican City materials
- Formula 1 materials on Scuderia Ferrari and the Italian Grand Prix
- Materials on Luciano Pavarotti
- Serie A and materials on Hidetoshi Nakata, Yuto Nagatomo, and Keisuke Honda
- Japan Football Association materials on Alberto Zaccheroni
- Japanese sources on the origins of Napolitan spaghetti
