YEREVAN. – Arihiko Hasegawa, who is from Japan, lives in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan for the past five years.

Hasegawa, who had first come to Armenia in 2000 as a tourist, was surprised to see how the youth in a country like Armenia, where solely a few Japanese live, were learning the Japanese language with great enjoyment.

“I’m a lawyer by profession, but I liked the lecturer’s work very much. [So,] I again came to Armenia, again as a tourist,” he told Armenian News-NEWS.am, and with a fluent Armenian.

Subsequently, Hasegawa decided to move to and live in Armenia.

“When I came to Armenia eight years ago, I met with my [future] wife, Lilit, who was learning Japanese for about a year. We became friends, but we got married three years ago,” he added.

Arihiko’s and Lilit’s little “bundle of joy,” Aren, is one-year old and, according to his parents, he understands both Armenian and Japanese very well.

“We celebrate the Armenian New Year. But on January 7 and 8, we also prepare the Japanese mochi [rice cake],” Hasegawa said, speaking about the Japanese traditions.

He also said he likes the Armenian custom of putting gifts under the Christmas tree, and that he has prepared a present for his baby boy.

“I like the Armenian New Year a lot, but I don’t like it when they eat so much,” Hasegawa added, with laughter.

The Embassy of Japan in Yerevan will officially open this year, and Arihiko has great hopes that, as a result, the Armenians and the Japanese will cooperate more actively.

“I’m not thinking at all about leaving Armenia,” Arihiko Hasegawa added, in conclusion.