OCTOBER 2022 (VOL.180)
Edouard Katayama Tripkovic
- Home country/state /city：Zagreb, Croatia
- Occupation：Chairman of Japan Croatia Society, President of GOOD IDEA LLC, CMO of Tubeless Japan Inc.
- Duration of living in Japan：20 years
- Why do you live in Japan?：I love Japan, one of my home countries.
What do you do in Japan?
Most of my professional activities are related to Croatia. Japan Croatia Society is a non-profit organization established in May 2021, and we aim to deepen cultural, tourism, sports, and business collaborations between both countries. Last year, we organized the 1st Japan Croatia Film Festival in Japan and projected 4 Croatian movies; it was the Japanese premier for each of them. The festival was held at the Tokyo Art Photographic Museum, and we had the opportunity to welcome the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Japan, Mr. Dražen Hrastić, for the opening ceremony as well as for the other projections. Last March, we organized the 1st Croatian Cup tournament, a futsal competition for kids and adults. We are happy to announce that 4 kid teams, as well as 8 adult teams, joined the tournament. The prizes distributed to the winning teams and MVP were generously offered by the Croatian Football Association. In April, we organized a Japan Croatia Ohanami event, combining the Japanese culture of enjoying cherry blossoms with the participation of people that love Croatia. Currently, we are preparing for the 1st Croatia Japan Film Festival in Zagreb, Croatia.
We will introduce Japanese movies, and we just launched the web page announcing the beginning of the entry for all Japanese feature and short movies that want to apply to the festival. At the same time, we started to organize the 2nd Japan Croatia Film Festival, which will be held coming December in Tokyo. Tubeless Japan is a Japanese Branch of the Croatian company Delt Papir. We established the company last October, and this week, we received the first import of dispensers and paper materials. Our company is the first to introduce IoT technology in the Away From Home industry, and our products’ production chain is entirely made with Carbon Neutral concept, allowing us to decrease CO2 to up to 50%.
You have the experience of living in Croatia, France, and Japan. What do you think about the living conditions of each country?
If we want to be precise, I also lived in Toronto, Canada, but it was only for 18 months. It is not easy to compare the living conditions of different countries. I would prefer to share my opinion about each country. Apart from Canada, all the countries I used and still live in influenced different periods of my life; I lived 3 times in France, 5 times in Croatia, and currently living my 3rd time in Japan. France is the country I am born in. My parents met in France, and after moving to different countries, they decided to spend the rest of their lives in Paris, where they met 50 years ago. I like Paris and France because of the diversity, all nationalities, and living in the symbiosis, gastronomy is fantastic, and the French language is so beautifully melodic. Croatia is my father’s home country, and I used to live there for more than 13 years. Croatia is the country that I consider the closest to what I feel my home country shall be, and the reason is that most of my first experiences are related to Croatia. Croatians are open and friendly people, and even if it is the first time they meet someone, they naturally accept them as a friend.
Japan is my mother’s home country, and it is also the country I have been living in the longest, for more than 20 years. It is the country I met my wife, and now we are a family of 6 members. Japan has so many to offer, and it is surely the safest country in the world. Japan is the longest continuing dynasty in the world, and its culture and tradition are so interesting that millions of foreigners are passionate about it. Japan also offers unprecedented gastronomy, and Tokyo is the city with the most Michelin star restaurants.
Which places in Japan do you recommend that foreigners see?
Discover samurai, geisha, and ninja cultures, which I believe are the most famous ancient cultures known abroad. Bushido also contains many aspects Japanese people cherish even nowadays, so it can be a good base for a better understanding of Japanese culture.
Which places in Japan do you recommend that foreigners see?
Discover samurai, geisha, and ninja cultures, which I believe are the most famous ancient cultures known abroad. Bushido also contains many aspects Japanese people cherish even nowadays, so it can be a good base for a better understanding of Japanese culture.
What parts of Japanese culture do you recommend that foreign people try to experience?
Discover samurai, geisha, and ninja cultures, which I believe are the most famous ancient cultures known abroad. Bushido also contains many aspects Japanese people cherish even nowadays, so it can be a good base for a better understanding of Japanese culture.
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