I am a Welsh

by Masanori Kawaguchi
(Tokyo)

I knew Wales for the first time when I was a junior high school student. My English teacher came from Wales and taught me Welsh. Then, I knew that the U.K consists of four regions, but could not understand it because I thought that a nation consist of one region.

Now, I know that people in Wales have a strong ethnic consciousness and are proud of it. The main language of traffic signs is Cymraeg, not English, which is the Welsh language and one of the official languages. The Wales national football and rugby teams participate in the World Cup.

I think it is important to have ethnic consciousness and success to culture. We Japanese, especially young Japanese, do not know Japan so much. So we should learn Japan more and not to be ashamed when going to foreign countries.