This week the annual World Happiness Report was released by UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and Norway came out as number 1. As a Norwegian living in Tokyo I had the chance to talk about this topic with a couple of Norwegian friends on the Japanese TV-program "ZIP!". A short clip from the show can be seen below.

今週発表されました世界幸福度ランギングで出身地ノルウェーが世界一に選ばれました。その結果について日本テレビの番組「ZIP!」でノルウェーについて語る機会がありました。ご興味ある方はどうぞ見てみてください(　＾ω＾)ノ

番組の内容：

世界幸福度ランキングでノルウェーが1位に輝いた。世界幸福度ランキングは、国民1人あたりのGDP、社会的支援などを数値化しランキングにしたもの。日本は51位。ノルウェーはどんな国なのか？面積は日本とほぼおなじ面積で人口は500万人。公共教育は大学まで全て無料。留学生には家賃も全て出してくれるという。企業側も残業をさせない働きかけをしている。長期休暇も休暇手当という制度があり、法律で決まっている。出産・育児は有給で1年間休むことが出来、どちらの性別でも使えるという。

「TVでた蔵」より

The program is mostly in Japanese (except for one interviewee who uses English), but for those who don't the content in Japanese the things we discussed largely concentrates on the following points:

• It is common for Norwegians to enjoy a large range of activities after work hours, and generally people like to do fun activities (This stands in stark contrast to Japan, where people usually reserve their weekdays for work only).
• Working culture: In Norway it for employees to leave the office as soon as the official work hours are over. If the employees won't leave it often happens that their managers will ask them to leave (In Japan, on the other hand.
• Maternity Leave: In order to ensure that both parents are able to spend time with their newborns Norway has adopted a law making it mandatory for both the mother and the father to take out maternity (/paternity) leave. The total period of the maternity leave is one full year (fully paid), but it is up to the couples themselves to decide how to split it.

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• All blogposts from Tokyo
• All blogposts about Norwegian stuff abroad
• Yokohama : Norwegian Skolebolle in World Porters
• Yokohama Kannai: The Norwegian Bar - Bar Norge (バーノルゲ)
• Norway Food Festival in Tokyo!
• Tokyo Cafes: Cafe Fuglen - Norwegian style Coffee & Vintage Furniture
• Norwegian 17. May Celebration in Tokyo 2014 - 東京でのノルウェー憲法記念日
• Norway Yumenet Presentation in Tokyo (Norsk Salong)
• Japan Hardanger Club (日本ハルダンゲルクラブ) Performance at the Norwegian Embassy
• Norway in Japan: Arne & Carlos Knitting Event
• Celebrating Norway's National Day at the Embassy in Tokyo!
• NHK on Norwegian Slow TV／NHK放送：ノルウェーのスローテレビ
• NHK E-Tele: "Gretel's Magical Oven" and Norwegian Waffles
• The Norway-Japan Society: Yakatabune Dinner Cruise on the Tokyo Bay (屋形船)
• ZIP！（アレナニ？）Norway and the World Happiness Report 世界幸福度ランキング ”世界一幸福” ノルウェーどんな国？

NHKのEテレの番組「グレーテルのかまど」でワッフルパーティの収録に協力しました。番組をきっかけにノルウェーに興味を持ってくれる人が増えますように～。番組の一部をこの下に共有しますので、ご興味がある方はぜひご覧になってください。

A little while ago me and some friends had the chance to participate in the making of an episode about Norwegian waffles and the stories about the fictional Norwegian character Mrs. Pepperpot. It was aired today on a program called Gretel's Magical Oven (Gureteru no kamado / グレーテルのかまど), and you can find parts of the episode below in this post (Japanese only).

「スプーンおばさん」にも登場する、ノルウェーの国民的おやつと言えば、愛らしいハート型が特徴のワッフル。チーズとチョコレート、2種類のトッピングでお楽しみあれ！世界中で親しまれている、ノルウェー発の「スプーンおばさん」。ひょんなことから、スプーンほどのサイズに小さくなってしまうおばさんの冒険物語。作中にも登場する、ノルウェーの国民的おやつが、ワッフル！薄くてしなやか、ほのかに香るカルダモン、そして何よりも、愛らしいハートの形。おばさんお得意の一品に、ヘンゼルも挑戦。ノルウェー伝統のトッピングと、オリジナルのふわふわガナッシュで、何枚でも食べられちゃう！

• All blogposts from Tokyo
• All blogposts about Norwegian stuff abroad
• Yokohama : Norwegian Skolebolle in World Porters
• Yokohama Kannai: The Norwegian Bar - Bar Norge (バーノルゲ)
• Norway Food Festival in Tokyo!
• Tokyo Cafes: Cafe Fuglen - Norwegian style Coffee & Vintage Furniture
• Norwegian 17. May Celebration in Tokyo 2014 - 東京でのノルウェー憲法記念日
• Norway Yumenet Presentation in Tokyo (Norsk Salong)
• Japan Hardanger Club (日本ハルダンゲルクラブ) Performance at the Norwegian Embassy
• Norway in Japan: Arne & Carlos Knitting Event
• Celebrating Norway's National Day at the Embassy in Tokyo!
• NHK on Norwegian Slow TV／NHK放送：ノルウェーのスローテレビ
• NHK E-Tele: "Gretel's Magical Oven" and Norwegian Waffles
• The Norway-Japan Society: Yakatabune Dinner Cruise on the Tokyo Bay (屋形船)
• ZIP！（アレナニ？）Norway and the World Happiness Report 世界幸福度ランキング ”世界一幸福” ノルウェーどんな国？

Nippon Television's program "ZOOM-IN!! Saturday"'s year-end special with the title 「ズームイン!!サタデー 年末SP外国人&グルメな絶景まつり」features a number of interviews with gaijins living in Tokyo, and apparently the interview they did with me will be included in the show^^
It will be aired from 5:30-10:00 on Saturday. I guess I'll update this post once I've had the chance to see the program..! ;)

I finally got access to a video showing the Fuku Musume election, which took place in Osaka Desember 2011.! Yay!


A bit embarrassing to watch it though, I was so nervous I messed up the last part of my self-appeal.. You might even be able to see me shaking during the appeal. Oh well x)

I have already written about the Fuku Musume election and the Toka-Ebisu festival in quite a lot of blogpost already, so please feel free to check them out from the links below.

• All blogposts from Osaka
• All blogposts about Fukumusume
• I'm gonna be a Fuku Musume (福娘)!
• 第６０回福娘発表会 The Daihyou Fuku Musume-Election
• Hair Ornaments for Fuku Musume
• Fuku Musume (福娘): Behind the Scene of Osaka's Touka Ebisu Festival (十日戎)
• Day 1 of the Tōka-Ebisu Festival!
• The Fuku Musume TV-Show 2012 福娘2012年
• The Norwegian Embassy writing about Fuku Musume
• Fuku Musume (福娘): The Children's Ebisu Festival 子供戎祭
• Working as a Fukumusume (福娘): The Tōka Ebisu Festival (十日戎) 2013
• Fukumusume (福娘): Working at the Tōka Ebisu Festival (十日戎) 2015
• 第１５回Fuku Musume 同窓会 in Osaka!
• 商売繁盛で笹持ってこい！Behind the scene of the Toka Ebisu Festival 2016

• All blogposts from Japan 

Today was the first day of the Tōka Ebisu (十日戎) festival in the Imamiya-Ebisu jinja shrine in Osaka. I'm participating as one of the Fuku Musume, which are selected shrine maidens who has the task of selling lucky charms in the temple.
I am staying at a hostel close to the shrine, so at least I don't have to go back and forth to Kyoto every day. But with the work starting at 8:30 and ending somewhere around 21:30 it is still quite a long day! With that said, I have had a lot of fun. Even with the long hours it feels like the time is flying. Probably because we are more or less constantly busy.. :p
I have to admit that it is probably easier for me since I got elected as one of four Daihyou Fuku Musume (representative Fuku Musume), because I got a couple of breaks for the TV interviews. Lucky! :)
Still, the experience working at the shrine is a totally unique experience, which I feel really thankful to be a part of.

Me being interviewed on TV

TV interview on the first day of the Tōka-Ebisu Festival

Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel

Superhotel Lohas Honmachi

Khaosan World Namba

The St. Regis Osaka Hotel

• All blogposts from Osaka
• All blogposts about Fukumusume
• I'm gonna be a Fuku Musume (福娘)!
• 第６０回福娘発表会 The Daihyou Fuku Musume-Election
• Hair Ornaments for Fuku Musume
• Fuku Musume (福娘): Behind the Scene of Osaka's Touka Ebisu Festival (十日戎)
• Day 1 of the Tōka-Ebisu Festival!
• The Fuku Musume TV-Show 2012 福娘2012年
• The Norwegian Embassy writing about Fuku Musume
• Fuku Musume (福娘): The Children's Ebisu Festival 子供戎祭
• Working as a Fukumusume (福娘): The Tōka Ebisu Festival (十日戎) 2013
• Fukumusume (福娘): Working at the Tōka Ebisu Festival (十日戎) 2015
• 第１５回Fuku Musume 同窓会 in Osaka!
• 商売繁盛で笹持ってこい！Behind the scene of the Toka Ebisu Festival 2016

• All blogposts from Japan 

• All blogposts from festivals