For almost 150 years, Switzerland and Japan maintain very friendly relations. The Swiss Japanese Society was founded 1955 to bring closer Japan to Swiss citizens and Switzerland closer to Japanese citizens. The objective is circumscribed in the statutes as follows:
- provides insight into the cultural, spiritual, social and economic life of Japan
- acts as intermediary
- promotes understanding between Japanese and Swiss
Caused by the rapid global developments of the past 30 years in business, tourism and politics the world, especially Japan and Switzerland has moved closer to each other. This has changed the information needs of people and thus also influences the strategic direction of the society.
Today’s Swiss- Japanese Society wants to address, within the objectives, the following stakeholders:
- Swiss nationals with personal experience in and with Japan
- Swiss nationals with interest to Japan
- Japanese nationals who live or visit Switzerland
Swiss nationals with personal experience in Japan and Japanese companies that do business in Japan, and their employees, who were stationed in Japan, travel to Japan or are responsible for Japan, shall exchange as members of the society their knowledge and experience. Therefore, existing friendships can be enlivened and new ones can be established.
Swiss nationals, who visit Japan have a wealth of experience, ideas and can provide assistance, both as tourists, as students or otherwise interested. The society provides interesting trips to Japan that focuses on culture, art and landscape.
Swiss nationals married to Japanese nationals find a platform of exchange and new contacts in the society.
Swiss nationals with interest in Japan, aiming to visit Japan and want to learn more about idiosyncrasies or improve their skills, will have the following opportunities as members of the society:
- learn about Japanese sports
- art and culture
- Japanese traditions like tea ceremony, Haiku poetry, ink painting and calligraphy, ikebana, origami, cooking etc.
- Religion (Shintoism and Buddhism) and meditation
- moderate and exercise the Japanese language
- and last but not least for students and young people to come into contact
Japanese nationals who live and work in Switzerland or Japanese who visit and want to know more about Switzerland will find like-minded persons and support in the society. Swiss customs will be brought closer and the circle of friends can be increased. The society provides Japanese artists a forum. Japanese events provide Japanese nationals a homelike feeling. In addition, the mediated society dialogue between Japanese and Swiss promotes deeper understanding and appreciation.
In this sense, the Swiss- Japanese Society deepens the understanding between the Swiss and Japanese and promotes friendship between the two cultures and their people.