Is Switzerland the Japan of Europe?
Exploring the similarities between the land of fondue and sushi island
For seven years I lived in Tokyo, Japan. More often than not, when I revealed to a Japanese person that I originated from Switzerland, I'd be told something along the lines of, "Ahhh. Swissu! That's the Japan of Europe." To many Japanese, Switzerland reminds them of Japan.
Last year I moved back to Switzerland—my first time living here as an adult, and the "Switzerland is the Japan of Europe" thing has been rattling around in my head since. Although this is certainly somewhat of a generalization, in more ways than one there does seem to be some truth to it. Why do the Japanese think Switzerland is like Japan? Rather than being academic, this article takes a fun, loose look at some similarities.
In a report published (in Japanese) by the Japan Student Services Organization on her 2018 oversea stay in Switzerland at the University of Bern, Keio University student Mayu Kamiya (神谷 真由) muses, "As I arrived in Switzerland, I began to hear that many Swiss people are shy and keep to themselves. I don't encounter many people who were willing to talk to me when I meet them for the first time. This is like Japanese people, so it almost didn't feel like I was in a foreign country at first." Kamiya is referring to how both Swiss and Japanese cultures tend to be reserved and private. Foreigners in Switzerland find it difficult to make friends; foreigners in Japan likewise find it difficult to make friends. In both cases, they end up with a circle of friends none of whom are locals. When the culture is reserved, and suspicious of outsiders, it's hard to make friends.
That's a clear similarity between the two cultures—but is there anything more to it—this Switzerland-Japan of Europe trope? Perhaps. However, one must be cognizant that any cultural comparisons will tend to be a minefield of generalizations, fueled by availability bias—that is, it may be easy to come up with a few generalizations that are the similar and say, "Look! They're the same!" without taking into account the many more differences. Nevertheless, being Swiss, but having grown up in Southern California, then living seven years in Japan, I'm perhaps in a unique-ish semi-neutral-ish 3rd-party-ish position to have a go at comparing the two cultures somewhat objectively-ish. Oh how I do love to hedge. So what makes Switzerland the Japan of Europe to the Japanese? What makes the two countries similar?
Let's start with trains. Both countries love them, and ride them frequently. The two countries rank among the highest in the world for passenger-kilometers traveled per capita, with Swiss passengers accumulating 2,451 km (2017), and the Japanese 2,142 km (2016). That's a lot of choo choo. Fun Otaku Culture side-note: In Japanese, if you love riding trains, you can say you're a nori tetsu (乗り鉄; のりてつ), a riding enthusiast. Prefer looking at (or more specifically, taking pictures of) them and you can call yourself a tori tetsu (撮り鉄; とりてつ), a viewing enthusiast. Me? I'm both.
Trains lead us to another similarity: punctuality. Both countries love it, with each again ranking among the highest in the world for having trains that are on time—with the Japanese taking it to an extreme. Maybe it has something to do with precision, or with keeping time. In a 2011 ranking of the world's top 10 watchmakers, five Swiss and three Japanese companies were ranked in the top ten (source). Attention to the details is important in both cultures. People, trains, buses, deliveries, and bureaucracy are all generally rather punctual.
In general, you can expect things to just work in both countries. For example, I recently needed to renew my passport. My appointment was at 15:30. I was done by 15:31. Five days later, my new passport arrived at my home. Just moved and need Internet? You'll be online in a day. Of course, when things just work, it's probably because it's being paid for. Swiss and Japanese cities, from Zürich and Geneva, to Osaka and Tokyo regularly rank as some of the most expensive in the world to live in (source 1, 2). And, for some reason, I've decided to live in both! 🤦♂️
Despite high costs of living, the quality of life is very high in both with standards of living some of the highest in the world (source). Both countries are also incredibly safe, both achieving a safety index of 78. Moreover, you can expect to live 84.25 years in Switzerland, and 85.03 in Japan (source). To regain that 0.75 years if you're Swiss, perhaps consider switching from Huus-tee to some green tea instead. Speaking of food, the quality of that is high in both—though I dare say that Japanese food is overall better—except for the cheese which is notably worse in Japan. Nevertheless, there is a preference for quality over quantity in both cultures.
There's a Japanese expression that goes something like, "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" (出る釘は打たれる). In both Japan and Switzerland, societal harmony is often more important than individuality; likewise traditions are respected and generally upheld. Moreover, cultural and political change tends to happen slowly.
This takes us to another cultural similarity: rules. Both Japanese and Swiss love to follow them. The cliché example is a red light at a crosswalk. No cars in sight and someone crosses when it's red? Good chance they're not a local (or, it's me, a pseudo-local). Social cohesion is important in both cultures, and following the rules is just one aspect. Another is that both are consensus-seeking cultures. Look no further than the Swiss political system (e.g. the Federal Council), or Corporate Japan for examples. Getting to a decision can take a loooong time. Both are trust-based societies, and it's not uncommon to have your lost items returned—especially in Japan. Or, when ordering something online, cash-on-delivery (or, in Switzerland, invoice-on-delivery) is a common checkout option. As well, the two can be indirect with their communication—they beat around the bush.
Both the Japanese and the Swiss occupy only a fraction of their land as they're both made of mostly mountainous terrain. Switzerland has its majestic Alps, and Japan has... well, its own Alps. One of them dotted with cows (and glaciers), and the other with shrines (and volcanoes). Both are a blast. Or rather, have been blasted through for tunnels. So many tunnels through both. Finally, Japan is an island, and Switzerland is often referred to as a landlocked island (OK, I guess I'm stretching the comparison here?)
Those are quite a few similarities. However, keeping availability and confirmation biases in mind, I think I could come up with just as many differences. So, is Switzerland the Japan of Europe? Perhaps Japan is the Switzerland of the Pacific! I think the key underlying similarities which give rise to that impression is how both cultures, Swiss and Japanese, tend to be reserved, respecting privacy while portraying a certain outward modesty. Of course, these are generalities and you'll find variances depending on which part of either country you find yourself in, be that in Zürich or Geneva, Tokyo or Osaka, or in the country side.
In the end, I suspect some Japanese think of Switzerland as the Japan of Europe because it's a tourist destination which is perhaps one of the most comfortable for Japanese tourists to visit as it has a good reputation for safety and being well-organized. Plus, it has some pretty cool trains.
This article is part of my 30 days / 30 articles challenge where I've attempted to write thirty articles within thirty days.