Hello, everyone, I am Hungary. I am about one fourth the size of Japan, and I am surrounded by seven countries. Do you know which seven? They are Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. My capital is Budapest, and the Danube River runs through the middle of it. Actually, Budapest is a city that was once two cities. Buda, which is the older histrical part, and Pest, which was the newer city, combined in the nineteenth centry to Budapest.
There are about 9.7 million people living in my country, and I am multiethnic. That means there are people from many different places. This is because I am located in central Europe, and my land is mostly a big flat area so people can come and go easily. There are many ideas about the roots of my people. One idea is that the Hungarian people were originally Magyars, a group from Asia.
The first king of Hungary, Stephen the first, was the chief of the Magyar people. He is important to Hungarians. At Saint Stephan’s Basilica in Budapest, you can see an old right hand. People think it the belonged to Stephen the first. The Basilica is a really beautiful church, and it's said that all Hungarians have visited it at least once. Oh, did you know that I am probably the only European country with an Asian background?
Japan and Hungary have many similarities. Just like you, we say our last names first. We also bow to each other, and we love hot springs. In Budapest, there are more than 100 hot springs and 50 bath houses.
Lake Heviz is the biggest hot spring lake in Europe and second largest in the world. There's a spa there that’s really big. People have been enjoying this hot spring since the Roman era. I’m not beside the sea, but there's a big lake that we call the Hungarian Sea. You can find a hot spring there, too. The spa at Lake Balaton is famous nationally and internationally, and many people go there to relax and enjoy themselves. The lake is really big. The 23 districs of Tokyo could fit in this lake. Big, right?
Also, Asian babies often have purple marks on their backsides called Mongolian spots when they are born. Well, some Hungarian babies have them, too. And there’s a festival similar to your Namahage Festival. In the southern part of my country, a festival called Busojaras is held every February. It is a festival to make winter go away and welcome spring. People wear scary masks and furs, very much like namahage.
I hope you will come visit me sometime. I’m sure you will find more similar things between our countries.