An Australian diplomat found modern Japanese weddings exciting and representing of the adaptability of the nation's culture, while a British participant described how much he loves "onsen" hot springs. And both did so in smooth Japanese.

The pair were two of the 23 contestants in the fourth Japanese Speech Contest 2001 for Foreign Diplomats in Tokyo that provided the audience the opportunity to learn new aspects of Japan as viewed from different viewpoints.

The participants in this year's contest, held March 17, were diplomats from embassies of 20 nations. They competed based on their command of the Japanese language by freely expressing -- some seriously and others humorously -- their unique experiences and views of Japan.

Jennifer Beh from the Australian Embassy won the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Prize, while Simon Wood from the British Embassy won the Cultural Agency Director General Prize, both with humorously telling stories about what fascinated and surprised them about life in Japan.

The young Aussie said weddings of today's young Japanese couples are "a hundred times as interesting as trashy musical plays," citing the typical scene of the bride and bridegroom floating on a fog of dry ice, as well as karaoke to entertain guests.

"According to data by a wedding-information magazine, an average Japanese couple spend 2.8 million yen for their wedding. I guess you may be surprised with this figure. I was also stunned when I first learned the fact. But after I attended a wedding ceremony, I came to think the wedding is worth more than 2.8 million yen because, if you look at it closely, you can see the wonderful talent of the Japanese people hidden behind Japanese weddings," she said.

"(My friend) Eriko-san had a solemn candle service and mimicries of singers Seiko Matsuda, Shinichi Mori and Hibari Misora. Miki-chan wore a shiny white wedding dress, blazing red kimono, and emerald-green dress like the one in the 'Gone with the Wind.' Entertainment for guests featured traditional Japanese performances.

"Everything is included in Japanese weddings -- the East and the West, Buddhism, Shinto, Christianity, and Judaism, western fantasies and the domestic way of hosting guests, from traditional arts to trendy fads. That's the talent of Japanese: Taking all the nice things from around the world upon its traditional culture (a little bit messy though) to make it further advanced as a whole. Isn't that the true meaning of 'globalization?' "

In his speech titled "Soaking into Japanese Culture to the Neck," Wood from the British Embassy humorously described his love of the hot springs.

"I thought it was strange in a way to share the same bath with totally naked strangers," he said, adding that he also did not understand the custom of wiping the body with a small wet towel also used to wash the body.

"I came to think now that when you come to a place of different culture like Japan, you will like it, or understand it, once you get deeply soaked into whatever such as an onsen," he said. "But a question still remains in my mind. I still don't know the clear answer of where the towel should go while I am soaked in the bath."

The Foreign Minister's Prize went to Shi Zeyi from the Chinese Embassy, who focused on the long and deep relationship between Japan and China by introducing an experience he had while living in Japan as a high school student.

Shi lived in the home of a Japanese family who cared for him as if he were a member of the family, and was always together with the family's youngest son, Takeshi. Although he did not have very much good image of Japan before he left Nanjing, the way the family treated him gradually made him feel "how sweet Japanese people are," he told the audience.

Even though Shi and Takeshi often had fights playing computer games together, they could soon patch up their relationship by taking a bath together, he said. One day Takeshi's mother asked them "Have you boys finished fighting already?"

"Of course, we are brothers," they answered. "You are right. Then Japan and China are also brothers, aren't they? What happens if they fight each other?" she asked.

"The words of the mother at that time largely determined my life afterward," said Shi, who now works on cultural exchanges between the two countries. "The relationship between China and Japan resembles that of brothers. Even though there were periods of fighting each other, there were also periods we when helped each other... Why then is only the time of fighting discussed?"

Shi touched on the negative sentiments that flare between Japanese and Chinese over such issues as the recent dispute concerning the draft of a controversial history textbook, Chinese anger toward discriminatory treatment by Japanese companies, and a reported rise in crimes involving Chinese gangsters in Tokyo.

"What should brothers do at such times? I recall the words of my Japanese mother then, and my resolution when I decided to be a diplomat. 'Kokoro to kokoro no kouryu' ('Heart-to-heart exchanges') -- that is, in the way I understand, undressed friendship that allows us to tell each other anything. I believe that is the starting point of diplomacy as well."

One of the participants said he rediscovered positive aspects of Japanese daily life after returning from Europe, while another described her discomfort with the behavior of Japanese youths today.

Dehtiarov Albelt of the Ukraine Embassy said he realized the honesty of Japanese taxi drivers who go to great lengths to return change to their customers after visiting a European country where getting back change was up to the customer.

Meanwhile, Thushita Gunaratne from Sri Lanka complained of meeting Japanese visitors to the embassy who she said "lack common sense."

"We have many junior high school students visiting the embassy (on class excursions) around March and April. As we listen to students talking and asking questions...the level of junior high school students in Japan is ... maybe that of elementary school students in Sri Lanka," she said.

"Because I love Japan as much as my own country, I am worried about the future of Japan. Japanese college students dress like models in a fashion show, carrying brand-name bags. Although students in my country are in T-shirts and jeans and have little money, the education level (there) is much higher."

Despite her harsh criticism of the Japanese people, her presentation appeared to have won one of the largest rounds of applause from the Japanese audience.

Some participants spoke about the relationships between Japan and their countries, some of which are not widely recognized here.

Ahmet Murat Kadioglu of the Turkish Embassy detailed how the bilateral relationship with Japan started when Japanese citizens saved the crew of a Turkish ship wrecked off Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, in the late 19th century.

Nasirov Aziz of the Uzbek Embassy explained how Japanese, detained by the Soviet Union after World War II, contributed to the construction of the Alisher Navoi Opera Ballet Theater in Tashkent.

Winning the Excellence Award in this year's competition were Luo Xiao Mei of the Chinese Embassy, Anuarbek Akhmetov of the Kazak Embassy, and Anca Mantulescu of Romania Embassy.

In a departure from previous years, the judges also handed out the Special Award to to seven competitors -- four more than usual -- due to the "high level of this year's competition." The seven winners were: Steven Rheault-Kihara of the Canadian Embassy; Nasirov Aziz of the Uzbek Embassy; Yozan Charles of the Cote d'Ivoire Embassy; Thushita Gunaratne of the Sri Lankan Embassy; Chironov Sergey of the Russian Embassy; Kajtiti Wiwatwanont of the Thai Embassy; and Ahmet Murat Kadioglu of the Turkish Embassy.

The contest, organized by the Foreign Embassies Friendship Association, and supported by The Japan Times and many other companies and organizations, is held to enhance the interest of foreign diplomats in the Japanese language and culture, as well as to help Japanese people become familiar with foreign diplomats who make such a great effort to master Japanese so as to serve as bridges between Japan and their home countries.