CHAPTER 5 通読用英文
Satoko and Nada
1
Rio: Nice to meet you, Yupechika-san. I’m Takada Rio and I’m a big fan of Satoko and Nada. What led you to create Satoko and Nada?
Yupechika: When I was studying at an American university, I met several students who were Muslims. At that time, I knew very little about Islam. The Muslim lifestyle surprised me, but I learned a lot. I wanted to share this knowledge with many people, so I created the manga and posted it on social media.
Rio: Actually, I was shocked by the “Personality Gap” manga. Before reading it, I had some mistaken impressions of Muslim women. I had thought they were modest people hiding their faces and bodies with dark cloths. But at all-girls’ parties, they show their faces and wear colorful dresses.
Yupechika: That was a big surprise, wasn’t it? In Satoko and Nada, there are many stories dealing with culture shock.
Rio: Before I read your manga, I felt sorry for Muslim women because they couldn’t choose their clothes.
Yupechika: Well, in the beginning, I felt the same way. But I now know that’s not the true picture. We shouldn’t judge people before we know more about their culture.
2
Rio: Was there anything you kept in mind while writing Satoko and Nada?
Yupechika: When I was creating the stories, I tried to avoid stereotypes of “Muslim girls” and “Japanese girls.” Instead, I tried to describe Satoko and Nada as individuals.
Rio: Could you explain that in a little more detail?
Yupechika: Sure. For example, we may feel uncomfortable when we hear someone say, “In general, most Japanese are....” When we meet people from another culture, we should see them not as stereotypes but as individuals. In the story “Knowing You,” Satoko says to Nada, “I mean, I do wanna know more about your culture, but I mostly just wanna know more about you.” Satoko wants to know more about her roommate, Nada, and naturally, she also wants to know more about Nada’s culture. This, I think, is the starting point of cross-cultural communication.
3
Rio: I have another question about my favorite story, “Praying.” Satoko comes back to their room and starts talking to Nada. However, she finds that Nada is in the middle of a prayer! Satoko is embarrassed and doesn’t know what to do or say. She quickly wraps herself up in a big scarf. When she finishes praying, Nada is surprised to see Satoko’s strange appearance. What were you trying to describe?
Yupechika: I wanted to describe Satoko’s sweet and considerate character humorously. She wants to know Nada. She isn’t a Muslim, but she wants to respect Nada’s culture.
Rio: In another episode, Nada, in turn, becomes curious about what Japanese food is like. Satoko prepares a Japanese meal, and Nada seems to enjoy eating it.
Yupechika: Yes, I believe food plays an important role in intercultural understanding. We can easily make new friends if we show an interest in their food culture.
4
Rio: What has the reaction of your readers been?
Yupechika: I’ve received a lot of comments. It’s interesting that the comments changed over time. At first, many of the comments showed surprise at various aspects of the Muslim culture. As the story went on, however, I received more comments on the two girls’ friendship.
Rio: In fact, when I read the stories, I could see the change in Satoko’s emotions.
Yupechika: Oh, I’m very glad to hear that. Satoko decided to study abroad because she felt uncomfortable about hiding her true feelings in order to go along with the crowd. In the story “True Friendship,” Satoko tells Nada the reason she decided to study in the U.S. Then Nada holds Satoko’s hands and says, “I’m different, and you’re different. We’re all different, but we’re still friends. That’s true friendship.”
Rio: Yeah, I agree.
Yupechika: Despite our individual differences, we can live together, and we can even be friends by knowing and respecting each other as individuals. I believe different kinds of people make our world a better and more interesting place.
Rio: Yes, diversity definitely makes our life richer. Thank you for your time today.
1
Rio: Nice to meet you, Yupechika-san. I’m Takada Rio and I’m a big fan of Satoko and Nada. What led you to create Satoko and Nada?
Yupechika: When I was studying at an American university, I met several students who were Muslims. At that time, I knew very little about Islam. The Muslim lifestyle surprised me, but I learned a lot. I wanted to share this knowledge with many people, so I created the manga and posted it on social media.
Rio: Actually, I was shocked by the “Personality Gap” manga. Before reading it, I had some mistaken impressions of Muslim women. I had thought they were modest people hiding their faces and bodies with dark cloths. But at all-girls’ parties, they show their faces and wear colorful dresses.
Yupechika: That was a big surprise, wasn’t it? In Satoko and Nada, there are many stories dealing with culture shock.
Rio: Before I read your manga, I felt sorry for Muslim women because they couldn’t choose their clothes.
Yupechika: Well, in the beginning, I felt the same way. But I now know that’s not the true picture. We shouldn’t judge people before we know more about their culture.
2
Rio: Was there anything you kept in mind while writing Satoko and Nada?
Yupechika: When I was creating the stories, I tried to avoid stereotypes of “Muslim girls” and “Japanese girls.” Instead, I tried to describe Satoko and Nada as individuals.
Rio: Could you explain that in a little more detail?
Yupechika: Sure. For example, we may feel uncomfortable when we hear someone say, “In general, most Japanese are....” When we meet people from another culture, we should see them not as stereotypes but as individuals. In the story “Knowing You,” Satoko says to Nada, “I mean, I do wanna know more about your culture, but I mostly just wanna know more about you.” Satoko wants to know more about her roommate, Nada, and naturally, she also wants to know more about Nada’s culture. This, I think, is the starting point of cross-cultural communication.
3
Rio: I have another question about my favorite story, “Praying.” Satoko comes back to their room and starts talking to Nada. However, she finds that Nada is in the middle of a prayer! Satoko is embarrassed and doesn’t know what to do or say. She quickly wraps herself up in a big scarf. When she finishes praying, Nada is surprised to see Satoko’s strange appearance. What were you trying to describe?
Yupechika: I wanted to describe Satoko’s sweet and considerate character humorously. She wants to know Nada. She isn’t a Muslim, but she wants to respect Nada’s culture.
Rio: In another episode, Nada, in turn, becomes curious about what Japanese food is like. Satoko prepares a Japanese meal, and Nada seems to enjoy eating it.
Yupechika: Yes, I believe food plays an important role in intercultural understanding. We can easily make new friends if we show an interest in their food culture.
4
Rio: What has the reaction of your readers been?
Yupechika: I’ve received a lot of comments. It’s interesting that the comments changed over time. At first, many of the comments showed surprise at various aspects of the Muslim culture. As the story went on, however, I received more comments on the two girls’ friendship.
Rio: In fact, when I read the stories, I could see the change in Satoko’s emotions.
Yupechika: Oh, I’m very glad to hear that. Satoko decided to study abroad because she felt uncomfortable about hiding her true feelings in order to go along with the crowd. In the story “True Friendship,” Satoko tells Nada the reason she decided to study in the U.S. Then Nada holds Satoko’s hands and says, “I’m different, and you’re different. We’re all different, but we’re still friends. That’s true friendship.”
Rio: Yeah, I agree.
Yupechika: Despite our individual differences, we can live together, and we can even be friends by knowing and respecting each other as individuals. I believe different kinds of people make our world a better and more interesting place.
Rio: Yes, diversity definitely makes our life richer. Thank you for your time today.
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