29 years in Turkey, Japanese man feels Turkish

ISTANBUL

Visiting Turkey 29 years ago with business purposes, Japanese man makes Turkey home settling in Istanbul.

Yoshinori Moriwaki, an architect and earthquake specialist, came to Turkey in 1990 for an instruction project that would last a year in the metropolitan city of Istanbul.

“This process was further extended,” Moriwaki said in an interview with Anadolu Agency. “Now, I see that it's been 29 years.”

Part of a group of 15 people who were in Istanbul for the construction of a hotel, Moriwaki was the only one who wanted to stay in Turkey.

“When I travel to Japan, I would like to return to Turkey after a week. My friends used to call me ‘half Turkish’, but now they say that I am exactly a Turkish guy,” Moriwaki said.

He was sure when saying: “I will live the rest of my life in Turkey.”

“I usually travel to England or Germany, but I have met with cold attitudes there. Here in Turkey, people are hospitable and friendly,” he said.

An admirer and cook of Turkish cuisine, Moriwaki said his favorite food is meat-filled bread, a specialty of the central Konya province, and rice stuffed vine leaves, yaprak sarma in Turkish.

He also mentioned the shared traditions of the two countries, like taking the shoes off while entering the home and the round floor table.

“A neighbor of us bring us some food in a plate. It is not appropriate in our tradition as well to give a plate back empty. So, I cook yaprak sarma or sushi and fill the plate with them,” he said.

Moriwaki learned the Turkish language when he was working in the construction site, talking with other Turkish workers.

“They used to tell me about something. People in Turkey already like to tell and talk very much,” he said.

The Japanese man shared an experience about the language and communication.

“When you go to England, let's say the salt on the table is away from and you ask someone to pass you the salt. If one of the words you use is incorrect, it is not understood.”

He went on to say: “But even if you use one letter in Turkish, the Turkish person shows many things on the table and says, ‘This one? That one?'. He helps you until you find the salt. This is the characteristics of Turkish people, they are warm and friendly.”

Married to a Ukrainian woman, his 11-year-old son used to speak Russian and learned Turkish when he started kindergarten.

Moriwaki said he visited at least 58 cities of Turkey, adding that Safranbolu, located in the central Karabuk city, is among his favorite places.

Safranbolu, an Ottoman-era city in Turkey, was an important stop on the main East-West trade route around the region. The city’s iconic sites of the Old Mosque, the Old Bath and Suleyman Pasha School (Medrese) were built in early 13th century, according to UNESCO.

“When I visit Safranbolu, I become really happy. Even I ask myself: ‘Was I Turkish previously?’”

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur