International Marriage　

Caring Japanese husband and Earnest Vietnamese wife
Mr　Yoshito Hirashima and maifun-san

Q: How did you meet?
Husband: We met through the Japan Vietnam Friendship Association. I like the way she is earnest and how she does everything to her very best, and that is why I married her.

Q: Would you please tell me if you have anything that you found amusing through experiencing the difference between each other’s cultural backgrounds?

Husband:: Even though there are many mixed couples in Japan now days, Japanese people’s acceptance is still hard for foreigners to get. Another thing I found about Vietnamese is that they value family a lot. They always share a family dinner for any reason. Japanese people are raised to be independent, we are taught to solve our problems by ourselves compared to other Asian countries. We like to have our private space. I feel that Vietnamese women are very emotionally strong. They have this calm atmosphere about them and their respect for their own culture is very high.

Q: What do you think of Japanese traditions and culture? And do you always cook Vietnamese meals at home?

Wife：Japan seems too busy for me. It’s sometimes important to relax and take your time with things. I mostly cook Vietnamese food at home. My husband isn’t fussy about the food he eats so it’s really easy for me to cook. We use lots of vegetables, fruits and also very little oil for Vietnamese food so it’s really healthy.

Q: Was there any change in your opinion about mixed marriage after you got married?
Husband::My husband and I had been living in Asian countries for a long time so we have quite a high tolerance for different cultures but actually getting married and living together is totally a different story. People say “do as the Romans do” but I don’t believe in forcing that belief to each other. It is more important to respect each other’s cultural differences.

Q: Do you have any advice to people who are considering a mixed marriage?
Husband:: There is always a difference between each other because of the difference of cultures but you have to be able to enjoy that difference. You have to have a big heart to accept these differences and also similarities between you and your partner.

Q: What kind of things do you want to improve for foreigners through your job as a Member of the House?
Husband::There will be more foreign residents in Japan and I would like to do anything for creating a better society where foreigners can live comfortably through a planned administration. I think that the international exchange of young people is very important for that as well. I want many people to experience and appreciate the cultural difference with many other countries through the International Exchange Association in Nakano.

Interviewed by Ms Joen
It was my first time to interview someone so I was kind of nervous but listening to the stories of a nice couple gave it a very relaxed atmosphere. The biggest impression left on me was when Mr. Hirayama was caring for his wife struggling with Japanese. I was very impressed when he was asking her if she had anything else to say or telling her that it’s okay to speak slowly. I was very touched to see a loving couple who respect and understand each others cultural differences.

We will ask Mr. Hideo Munemura, who is an administrative scrivener, and Ms. Chieko Nakanishi, who is a social insurance labour consultant, today for expert advice.