ROMANIA

links to their websites

ROMANIA

By Karen Nishina

On April 6th, 2026, the International School Network visited the Embassy of Romania in Japan to interview the Ambassador His Excellency Dr. Ovidiu Alexandru RAETCHI.

Romania is united through its identity that comes from its complex history, having been surrounded by major powers, including the Byzantine, German, and Ottoman Empires, as well as Polish and Ukrainian influences. Despite these pressures, Romania maintained its distinct identity through its language and a deep-rooted Christian faith, encompassing Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Greek Catholic traditions. Moreover, Dr. RAETCHI emphasizes that Romania is defined by its tolerance and its capacity to remain friends with its neighbors with distinct cultures.

For those looking to explore Romania, the Ambassador suggests several significant destinations. Firstly, he recommends the Maramureș located in the north. The Maramureș has a traditional wooden architecture resembling Japan's Shinto temples. Secondly, he suggests the Black Sea Coast, home to the city of Constanta. This is where the poet Ovid (sharing a name with the Ambassador) lived 2,000 years ago and is an important part of the Eastern Empire. Thirdly, he mentions the Medieval Castles. These iconic sites offer a window into the legends and history that define the Romanian spirit. Finally, he recommends the capital of Romania, Bucharest. Bucharest is known for its 19th century architecture inspired by Paris, Greek and the Communist-era, reflecting the nation’s layered history.

A unique aspect of education and society in Romania is its diversity in language. Dr. RAETCHI explains that the Romanian language is late in origin with roots from Latin, French, Italian, and Portuguese. By the age of 18, most Romanians are proficient in two to three languages.
Dr. RAETCHI views education as the essential first step towards world peace. He believes that education provides the perspective necessary to value differences and prioritize communication over force. Education helps people listen to other people’s point of view and accept other cultures.
As Romanians were not allowed to travel before 1989, the ambassador sees globalization as a tool to discover other cultures as well as your own. Globalization allows us to see and praise other cultures, something that Romanians have wanted throughout history. He explains that globalization is a way to progress, not a threat.

As a child, Dr. RAETCHI aspired to become a rugby player, a politician, and a writer. He wanted to become a politician following the Romanian revolution. Today, he has realized many of those dreams, successfully authoring writings and pursuing a diplomatic and political career. He also reflected on his youth, recalling the time before smartphones, when he engaged in football and chess.

The Ambassador introduced the cultural richness of Romania through its cuisine, mentioning Sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), Cozonac (sweet bread), and Papanasi (fried dough with sweet cream and jam). He also gifted us with the ROM chocolate, a famous national treat.

At the Embassy, visitors can see the IA, a traditional Romanian blouse with regional patterns worn on weekends. The Ambassador described the Hora, a traditional circle dance where people join hands as a symbol of unity. One unique piece of art at the Embassy was a kimono crafted from eggshells, which was also exhibited at the Osaka Expo, bridging the artistic traditions of both nations.

Japan and Romania have celebrated over a century of bilateral relations. In March 2023, the relationship reached its highest diplomatic level with the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement. Dr. RAETCHI’s goal is to solidify this path for the next 10-20 years, focusing on diplomacy, economics, and culture. He views Japan as a “like-minded partner” that shares Romania’s core values of freedom and mutual respect. He encourages Japanese students to visit and discover the European Union to witness a community that maintains individual traditions while working together as a unified team.

The International School Network went to the Embassy of Romania. We interviewed the Ambassador, HE Mr. Radu Serban, about his country.

The International School Network went to the Embassy of Romania. We interviewed the Ambassador, Mr. Radu Serban, about his country. During the encounter, he had shared to us about numerous things, including the nation’s delicious cuisines, as well as his opions on the Romania-Japan relationship. Romania is located in southeastern-central Europe and borders countries such as Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Bulgaria. The nation is highly known for it’s natural eco system. Romania has a very precious inhabitant of brown bears as it consists of about 50% of Europe’s population of brown bears.

Romania is also well known for their food production due to their highly-advanced agriculture. Some popular food we were introduced to that day were mamaliga (a Romanian cornmeal porridge), mititei (the romanian word for “little things” and a dish consisting of beef, lamb, and pork with some spice seasonings), papanasi (a fried pastry with cheese, sour cream, and jam), and sarmale (rolled cabbage made with grape leaves). Mr. Serban especially talked about how sarmale are eaten during special occasions, such as during Christmas or the New Years. In addition, mititei are most commonly eaten during Labour Day. We were then served some delicious Romanian cheese cookies at the embassy.

Ambassador Mr. Farhad Khlif Keito Madoka Haruka Karen

At the end of the interview, Radu Serban, Ph. D gave a presentation about the relationship between Romania and Japan. Romania and Japan have been developing a good relationship. Presently, Romania has about 170 Japanese comanies operating and offering a good amount of employment. As for trading, the two country’s commerce has reached to about six thousand million dollars. The most impressive episode to me was about the warm supports from the Romanian students at the incident of the great Tohoku earthquake. Supportive messages and drawings were sent to the children around the Fukushima area. The art works have carried out the strong bondage between Japan and Romania, which has developed into a friendship exchange relation.

(Reported by Kurumi Onishi)