House of Music to host 1st Far Eastern Classical Music Festival
Budapest’s House of Music will organise its first Far Eastern Classical Music Festival between September 1 and 4, the organisers said on Thursday.
The festival will be opened by the ambassador of Japan to Hungary, to be followed by planting a tree in City Park.
Programmes include eight concerts, film screenings, origami workshops, green tea and sake tasting and anime shows.
In the Sound Dome, titles by Japanese multimedia artist Ryoichi Kurokawa will be presented each day.
The gala concert closing the festival will focus on bamboo instruments and the classic sounds of Japanese music.
Read also House of Hungarian Music won Oscars of the property market profession in France – PHOTOS
Speaker expresses condolences over Japan’s assassinated PM’s death
House Speaker László Kövér has expressed condolences over the death of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister.
In a letter to Hiroyuki Hosoda, his Japanese counterpart, Kövér remembered Abe as a “great politician with foresight”, recalling a meeting with him in Japan in 2016. “With his death, Japan has lost an outstanding politician and Hungary an understanding and good friend,” he added. Abe was assassinated on Friday.
Read alsoHouse Speaker: Europe neglecting ‘fundamental existential needs’
The tragic love story of Prince William and Hungarian model Zsuszi Starkloff
This is the untold story of a forbidden royal romance between Prince William and Hungarian model Zsuzsi Starkloff. A love affair that caused panic in the royal family and was vetoed by the Queen herself, an affair that was destined to end in tragedy.
Prince William – the playboy prince
Born in 1941, Prince William of Gloucester was the grandson of King George V and the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II whose wedding he attended as a pageboy carrying the train of her dress down the aisle. At that time, he was fourth in line to the British throne, however, he had other aspirations than becoming a royal heir. He was known as the playboy prince who started rebelling against royal protocol at an early age. He could not bare the weight of the expectations that rested on his shoulders due to his noble origin. Prince William’s devil-may-care lifestyle earned him a reputation in the tabloids; he was flying a Piper aircraft, trekking through the Sahara and dating models his family did not approve of. Prince William’s dashing good looks could get him anyone he desired – but the woman he set his heart on, eventually, turned out to be the one he could not get.
The adventurous Hungarian beauty
The Hungarian femme fatale was born in 1936 in Budapest under the name Zsuszi Lehel. She married young and had a daughter with her first husband, Tibor Serfőző. When the ‘56 revolution broke out, the couple first fled to Austria, and then they continued their journey to the United States. However, their marriage did not survive all the struggles. Zsuszi met his second husband, Malcolm Edward Starkloff an airline pilot while working as a stewardess in Tokyo, but this marriage also ended in divorce. As a single mother to support her child, Zsuzsi eventually turned to modelling. Her western beauty was much in demand in the Japanese capital, she soon became the face of the beauty giant, Revlon. Even the famous actor Sean Connery laid eyes on the Hungarian beauty when he was visiting Tokyo for a movie set.
Read also: TOP 5 most famous Hungarian women with achievements that conquered the world
The first encounter in Tokyo
One of the 20th-century grandest love stories began in Tokyo where the prince first set eyes on the glamorous, two-time divorcée Zsuzsi Starkloff. Prince William arrived in Japan in September 1968 as a newly appointed diplomat at the British Embassy, a civilian job he chose to take on to avoid the British press. Prince William with his movie-star looks made an instant impact on the party set among Tokyo’s ex-pat community, a Western elite that also included Zsuszi. The Hungarian model was eager to meet the newly arrived British diplomat. She sent a special invitation to the prince to attend the next ex-pat ceremony, which she signed as Cinderella. The plan worked. William was either way known for having a taste for elder women, and the Hungarian beauty who dressed as an Indian princess at the masquerade ball instantly mesmerized him. Little did the British prince know that time that his whole life was about to turn upside down.
The frowned-upon royal romance
Shortly after arriving in Japan, Prince William struck up a passionate relationship with the Hungarian model. Far away from home and the attention of the British royal family, their affair blossomed faster than either of them imagined. They ended up renting a waterside home by the Pacific Ocean; it was their private love nest where they were not bothered by the photographers. As both of them had an adventurous nature, they shared many exciting hobbies like, for example, scuba diving. However, it was not long before the news about Prince William and Zsuzsi Starkloff’s affair traveled to England. On the excuse of the 1969 British Week, Buckingham Palace sent Princess Margaret over to Tokyo to convince the prince to put an end to his scandalous relationship with the Hungarian divorcee and look elsewhere for a wife.
The tragic end of the love affair
According to a centuries-old royal decree, the royal marriages act of 1772, those who are in succession to the throne have to ask permission from the British sovereign to approve their marriage, otherwise, it could be declared null and void. William’s intention to wed the Hungarian divorcée was greeted with great horror by the royal family. They had labelled Zsuszi as the next Mrs Simpson, an American socialite and divorcée whose affair with Edward VIII triggered the Abdication Crisis in 1938. Apart from her marital status, the Hungarian model was also older than the prince and of Jewish origin. The royals finally managed to claim back their errant prince by ordering him to take over his father’s estate at Northamptonshire. The unhappy prince decided that duty came first and returned to England but he kept sending telegraphs to Zsuzsi to meet up in New York City. However, the reunion never took place. On 28 August 1972, at the age of 30, Prince William suffered a fatal crash during an air race.
“He died wearing my ring. And I still think about him every day!”
recalled Zsuzsi Starkloff in an exclusive interview. The glamorous Hungarian beauty, who could have married into the British royal family, lived until age 83 in a secluded mountain-top town in Colorado, thousands of miles away from the House of Windsor which caused her downfall. She died in 2002, after a long battle with cancer.
To learn about the tragic love affair in more detail, watch this fascinating documentary below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71_gv6Kv0yI&ab_channel=Timeline-WorldHistoryDocumentaries
Read more: Elizabeth II is 96 years old today: here is how she is 1/16 Hungarian – PHOTOS, VIDEO
Foreigners vs. Hungarian food — VIDEOS
Hungary has many treasures to offer tourists. Domestic gastronomy is also special. For foreigners, some Hungarian food items and sweets are rather interesting. Foreigners, no matter if they are tourists or people working or studying in Hungary, often express their experiences in videos.
Hungarian snacks
In Erika Unnie’s video, a Korean girl, Mini, tries Hungarian sweets. By her own admission, she is a fan of chocolate, so this is a fitting challenge for her.
The video features Balaton chocolate and Túró Rudi.
Mini was not impressed by the chocolate coated puffed rice. The strangest for her was rice cooked in milk. She said that she never tried anything like this before. Negro candy tasted strong and a bit medicinal for her. There is truth in both statements, but Hungarians still like it.
The best retro sweets were Duna kavics and French dragee.
Mini called French dragee the Hungarian M&Ms. Even more to her credit, she prefers Hungarian Pilóta biscuits to Oreos.
People vs. Hungarian food
The People vs. Food channel offers college students dishes from different countries. In one episode, they chose Hungarian cuisine. None of the college students had ever experienced Hungarian cuisine.
Everyone loves chicken paprikash and layered cabbage.
The Hungarian crépe called palacsinta was also very popular. People loved layered potatoes as well, but most of them thought of it more as a breakfast dish. The video contains some interesting, basic information about popular Hungarian dishes.
Japanese guys try Hungarian food
In the third video, two Japanese men taste Hungarian food, sweets, and ingredients.
The brave Japanese boys tried the famous Hungarian Spicy Red Gold (Piros Arany).
They also tasted mayonnaise horseradish with some meat. The French dragee also reminded them of M&Ms. But the cottage cheese rudi was strange for them too, even though they tried several flavours. While the Sports bar was a bit chewy, they compared it to protein bars.
The boys tasted not only food but also drinks. They like both the Soproni IPA beer and the grapefruit Borsodi beer. Watch the videos to find out more about their first reaction to Hungarian gastronomy.
Suzuki diesel scandal in Hungary?
The local unit of Japanese car maker Suzuki has confirmed that an investigation related to vehicles with diesel engines it produced earlier is underway, business daily Világgazdaság said on Thursday.
“We confirm that an investigation with regard to diesel vehicles produced earlier by Magyar Suzuki is underway. Our company is currently being informed in the matter and is cooperating in all areas with foreign and Hungarian authorities,” the unit told Világgazdaság.
“We wish to stress that Magyar Suzuki complies with regulations in force in all circumstances and operates in line with those regulations,”
it added. Magyar Suzuki said it “can share no further information on an ongoing matter”.
- Read also: Breaking – Orbán announced decisions on fuel, food price caps!
Reuters reported on Wednesday that prosecutors from Germany, Italy and Hungary have conducted searches related to the use of illegal defeat devices that provide rigged emissions readings to comply with European Union regulations in Suzuki diesel vehicles.
Reuters cited a statement by German prosecutors that their probe concerns Suzuki, Stellantis, which supplied the Japanese carmaker with diesel engines, and Japanese auto parts maker Marelli, which supplied parts for those engines.
The searches are being conducted in Germany, Italy and Hungary as part of a coordinated action by Eurojust, Europe’s agency for criminal justice cooperation, Reuters said.
Read alsoHungary and other V4 countries are in the top 12 investment destinations of the world!
TOP5 most successful Hungarian music hits that conquered the world overseas – VIDEOS
No matter how complex the lyrics are, these Hungarian music hits have conquered the world overseas with their rhythm and melody.
Rezső Seress: Gloomy Sunday (Szomorú Vasárnap)
There is a Hungarian song that is known almost all over the world. From Louie Armstrong through Marianne Faithfull, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Björk, and Portishead to Sinead O’Connor, almost every star in the world has sung it. This is the “Hungarian Suicide Song”, or Gloomy Sunday, whose original singer may have been world-famous, but he stayed in Budapest and continued living a modest life.
As Nullahategy reports, Rezső Seress never learned to write music or play the piano, but he created an atmosphere in smoky, wine-smoking pubs from 6 pm until dawn that was a wonder to Hungary and the world. He performed his compositions for forty years for the guests of the smoky pub but was never attracted to enjoy the success of his hit song abroad. The Hungarian artist received lucrative contracts and was offered a significant amount of money to perform at least once in a gala concert at Carnegie Hall. However, Rezső Seress did not go anywhere, instead, he sat down at the rickety piano in the Kispipa restaurant every evening at six o’clock to entertain the local audience.
Omega: Pearl-haired girl (Gyöngyhajú lány)
In addition to their domestic success, the Hungarian Omega’s hit, “Pearl-haired Girl” (Gyöngyhajú lány), is also a big success overseas. The catchy hit was even used in an Australian bank commercial in 2021.
Additionally, American rapper Kanye West was also inspired by the Hungarian hit. Unfortunately, however, he did so in a legally questionable way. The American rap star used Omega’s former hit “Pearl-haired Girl” in his song “New Slaves” in 2013 but without prior agreement with the song’s authors. The two parties eventually agreed out of court. According to certain information, Kanye West eventually paid $100,000 (29 million forints) to the rights owner and the authors of the Hungarian hit song, reported Blikk.
Lokomotiv GT: Motor City Love (Szólj rám, ha hangosan énekelek)
LGT’s overseas career is still considered a dream come true for every young musician in Hungary. The band played more than 30 concerts in 25 cities in the USA in the early 70s, all of them with great interest surrounding their “delicacy” imported from a Communist country. The first and only Lokomotiv GT album in the US is reportedly still available overseas at ABC record stores. One of their greatest music hits, “Motor City Love”, is also on this album.
Jolly: Chiki Chiki Chan Chan (Ciki Ciki Bam Bam)
Hungarian singer Jolly has soared to the top of the Japanese charts with one of his best-known songs. But there was more to come, as the hit became the theme song of the comic book adaptation “Ya Boy Kongming!”. These types of cartoons are hugely popular in Japan and in many other parts of the world.
According to the Hungarian singer, the Japanese publisher approached him to buy the song two years ago. Since then, it has been used for the manga series and has become available on several platforms. The company plans to translate the song into several languages other than Japanese, reported Blikk Rúzs.
Queen: Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt
One of the most memorable concert experiences in Budapest can be attributed to the band Queen, who visited the Hungarian capital in 1986 to give a fantastic show. The unforgettable concert was attended by 80,000 people, leaving its mark in the history of Budapest’s greatest concerts. As a sign of respect, the band’s frontman Freddie Mercury even sang to the audience the Hungarian children’s song “Spring Wind Floods Water” (Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt). One of the most memorable moments, for sure.
Read alsoSziget explodes again with Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris, Tame Impala among the acts
Hungary aims to become the flagship of European electric car-making
Japanese-owned Toray Industries Hungary inaugurated a 127 billion forint (EUR 344.6m) battery separator film plant in Nyergesújfalu, in north-west Hungary, on Thursday.
The investment creating 188 jobs was supported by a 4.7 billion forint government grant, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said, welcoming the project as “the largest investment in the country so far this year”.
The new plant will contribute to efforts aimed at
establishing Hungary as “the flagship of European electric car-making”.
Hungary is currently the sixth largest lithium battery exporter globally, and the eleventh largest producer of battery parts, he noted.
The plant will produce battery separator film for lithium batteries in electric vehicles. Toray is present in 29 countries around the world, and this investment is boosting its global production capacity for separator films by 20 percent, the minister said.
Szijjártó said Hungarian-Japanese cooperation was continuously improving.
He noted that Hungarian exports in the bilateral relationship hit a new record at 830 million dollars in 2021, following 18 percent annual growth.
Read alsoHungary aiming to become NATO’s European innovation hub
V4 countries discussed science cooperation options with Japan in Budapest
Some 150 Hungarian and foreign experts participated in an international science diplomacy seminar of the Visegrád Group and Japan hosted by Budapest on Wednesday, a state secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
The event held under the current Hungarian V4 presidency aimed to present scientific projects supported jointly and planned in future in collaboration by the five countries ranging from basic research to technological innovation, the ministry’s deputy state secretariat for cultural diplomacy said in a statement.
Participants in the first section highlighted the common components of the V4 countries and Japan’s automotive industry strategies with
special focus on prospective cooperation in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technologies.
The second section presented the jointly sponsored V4-Japan highly successful materials science programme launched in 2015 with the involvement of physicist, engineer and inventor Hiroshi Amano, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, the ministry department said.
The seminar held partly online was co-organised by the Hungarian foreign ministry, the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), the Japanese embassy and the V4 countries’ research and development agencies.
Read alsoRestaurants to check out in Budapest if you love international food – PHOTOS
Hungary issues EUR 575 m of samurai bonds
Hungary has successfully issued 575 million euros’ worth of government bonds on the Japanese market with favourable interest rates, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said on Facebook on Friday.
Hungary issued three-, five-, seven- and ten-year bonds, Varga said, adding that green bonds accounted for “the biggest part” of the issue.
“Investor confidence in the Hungarian economy is unbroken,”
he said.
Varga said that unlike in 2008, when the left-wing government had been “incapable of repaying its expiring debts” and had to turn to the IMF for a loan, the current government, “thanks to the consistent and credible economic policies of the past years”, had no trouble securing long-term market resources in spite of the crisis caused by the pandemic.
And whereas in 2010 the proportion of Hungary’s public debt in foreign currency was over 50 percent, today it stands under 25 percent, Varga said, adding that the share of debt held by foreign investors had fallen to 30 percent from 65 percent 12 years ago.
Read also Hungarian-Russian development to significantly increase Chinese transit!
Why is Hungary in the TOP10 most expensive places to rent cars?
Compare The Market Australia made a survey. While Hungary is among the most visited countries, renting a car in the country is extremely expensive.
The survey was conducted taking into consideration the standard rental of a car where there are 5 people and 3 luggage. The survey showed the most expensive and the cheapest countries as well, writes Turizmus Online.
According to the results, renting a car in Singapore is the most expensive, and Madrid is the cheapest. Budapest is in 8th place.
The most expensive cities where people can rent a car are Singapore, Fukuoka, Honolulu, Melbourne, Vienna, Jerusalem, Auckland, Budapest, Phuket City, and Tel-Aviv. The cheapest are Madrid, Lima, and Cancún. Among the cheapest cities are Cairo, Dubai, Moscow, Cracow, Rio de Janeiro, and Abu Dhabi.
The difference between the countries is significant when it comes to prices and expenses. In Singapore, renting a car costs 97 euros for one day. In Madrid, the price is only 12 euros on average, according to the list.
In Budapest, the average daily price is 70 euros.
Read alsoHungary became the centre of petrol tourism, price cap to stay?
Another piece of interesting data regarding cars is about the number of thefts and which cars are taken most of the time. Telex writes that last year, 561 vehicles got stolen, among which 351 were passenger cars. The data, however, shows that the number of car thefts decreased over the past 10-15 years. In 2007, for example, 7,584 cars were stolen, but in 2015, “only” 2,414 stolen cars were reported.
Surprisingly, the vehicle that gets stolen most of the time is a Simson, which is a scooter.
The top 10 vehicles which get stolen the most often include Simson, Opel, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Yamaha, Aprilia, and Ford. Vezess.hu published the full list, on which it appears that after the aforementioned vehicles, Peugeot, Renault, Honda, Toyota, Fiat, Piaggio, Mercedes-Benz, Skoda, BMW, Audi, Mazda, Citroen, and Keeway are also popular targets.
The cars that get stolen often are Opel, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Ford, Renault, Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Skoda, Audi, Fiat, BMW, Mazda, Citroen, Daewoo, Lada, SEAT, Volvo, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.
Read alsoWhy is it so hard to find a taxi in Budapest these days?
Bridgestone celebrates 15th anniversary of its Hungarian factory with FM
Japanese tyre maker Bridgestone celebrated the 15th anniversary of its local unit at the Bridgestone base in Környe, on the outskirts of Tatabánya, in north-western Hungary, on Friday.
Addressing the event, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said Bridgestone’s local subsidiary used the government investment stimulus during the coronavirus crisis and “expanded capacity instead of making layoffs”.
The Hungarian subsidiary of the world’s leading tyre maker has invested some 130 billion forints (€ 367 million) since 2006 in its Tatabánya plant turning it into one of Europe’s most modern facilities, the minister said.
The unit has since then turned out more than 38 million tyres, Szijjártó said, adding that it today employs 1,300 people.
Melinda Topolcsik, managing director of Bridgestone Tatabánya, said in a release marking the anniversary that the unit produces 6.5 million tyres per year and supplies them to the Mercedes, BMW, VW and Audi brands.
Read also Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini parts to be made in this Hungarian city!
Restaurants to check out in Budapest if you love international food – PHOTOS
Budapest is a great place to find international food. There is a variety of great international food venues in the Hungarian capital. In this article, we recommend a few restaurants from the many options.
Argentinian
Pampas Argentin Steakhouse is one great option. The 15-year-old restaurant is easy to find, and it is close to Kálvin Square. The restaurant’s steak menu sounds impressive. 11 types of steaks are available, from 5 countries, in 3 different sizes, and 5 preparation types. The wine offer sounds like something the restaurant chose carefully, too. Poultry and seafood are also available. The restaurant is decorated with items brought from Argentina, and the venue is a great location for many events. An 80-square-metre room is also available for private gatherings or company events.
Address: 1053 Budapest, Vámház Krt. 6.
Chinese
Master Wang’s Chinese Kitchen
“Master Wang followed the path of his grandparents to become a professional cook and refined his talent in the best restaurants of Beijing. He believes that he can give an insight into the mysteries of the 5,000-year-old Chinese cuisine on a theoretical and practical level. He considers cooking an art, which he promotes in his restaurant, Master Wang’s Chinese Kitchen, as well as at several events,” writes their website’s About section. The place seems like a nice one. You should probably check it out.
Address: 1143 Budapest, Gizella Str. 46/A
read also: The lure of Hungarian cuisine reached a Brooklyn restaurant
Japanese
Itoshii is a great place in Budapest. The “all you can eat” restaurant has a great atmosphere, the staff is kind and friendly, and the service is great. You do not have to wait for too long, either. There are tablets on the tables, and you can select what you want to eat, instead of waiting for the waiter to come to your table every time you would like to order something. The food comes in smaller amounts, so this place is great if you would like to try a variety of Japanese food. One thing to be aware of is that the price for the lunch and dinner menu differs, so make sure to check the time on the clock. If you arrive later in the afternoon, it might be a dinner bill you have to pay instead of the lunch offer.
Address: 1062 Budapest, Teréz krt. 55-57
Indian
“Indigo Restaurant opened its doors in 2005, on Jókai Street in Pest. Ten years later and with countless satisfied guests, we opened our restaurant in Buda on Fény street. Our priority during the establishment of both our restaurants was to evoke the authentic atmosphere of India, providing the perfect relaxing and gastronomic experience. The flavours of North India, of course, come hand in hand with the world-famous Indian hospitality, which is why many of our regular guests choose us if they crave the special, heart-warming flavours of India,” their introduction writes. They have two restaurants on both sides of Budapest, one in Pest and one in Buda.
Address:
Buda side: 1024 Budapest, Fény St. 16.
Pest side: 1066 Budapest, Jókai St. 13.
read also: 4 tea houses in Budapest to keep you warm during your winter visit – PHOTOS
Italian
Trattoria Pomo D’oro is an amazing restaurant. The traditional Italian taste is guaranteed, and even the pizza is baked in a wood-burning oven. The traditional dishes are worth trying, but the restaurant tries to have something special on the menu as much as they can. Their wine selection is impressive, too. 150 Hungarian and 150 Italian wines are available, and 30 bottles are kept open so that guests can taste several of them. The restaurant prides itself on acknowledgements such as the recommendation of the Italian Academy of Culinary Arts.
Address: Arany János Str. 9.
Here is how the Hungarian economy will be in 15 years
Financial analysts in London made their prognosis for the next 15 years to come. The three fastest growing economies in the ranking are Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines. These countries will have much better economies in the future, according to the forecast.
Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) makes their prognosis at the end of each year to rank the countries’ economic state. – writes portfolio.hu. This year they project that China will recover from the losses caused by the coronavirus later than it was initially calculated.
Originally, it was forecasted that China would become the leading economy, but now it seems that the United States will hold the title.
The growth in China was slower than anticipated while the GDP increased in the United States. According to the prognosis made by CEBR, China will finish in the first place by 2030 with a two-year delay in comparison to the previous economic forecast. By 2033, the German economy will precede the Japanese. India will be the world’s third-biggest economy starting from the year 2031.
Read alsoHungary’s tourism sector performed a lot better this year, says agency
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) prognosis ranked Hungary as well. The country is currently the 56th out of the 193 economies on the list. The prognosis does not indicate a change in the ranking for Hungary by 2036. The country will possibly still remain in the 56th place on the ranking.
“Hungary had a PPP adjusted GDP per capita of $36,849 in 2021, making it a high-income country. The pandemic had an adverse impact on the economy, with GDP contracting by 5.0% in 2020. Nonetheless, the economy has experienced a bounce back in 2021, with an estimated growth rate of 7.6% in 2021.
Consequently, output stands 2.3% above 2019 levels. An important component of the economy’s strong performance in 2021 was the tightness of the labour market. Indeed, the unemployment rate fell by 0.015 percentage points to 4.1% in 2021.” – one can read in the World Economic League Table.
The document also contains that inflation is a big issue and “the government’s plan to reintroduce the 13th month pension and the family support policies inflate these values further.”
If you want to read the prognosis for other countries, click HERE to see the full document.
Read alsoMonetary tightening to continue in 2022, says central bank govenor Matolcsy
Hungarians among the world’s best Duolingo language learners!
Czechs and Hungarians are among the world’s hardest-working nations in terms of learning a new language. If we take the number of single lessons completed per learner, we can say that the Czechs rank first in the world, followed by the Japanese, Belarusians, Germans and Hungarians.
According to blog.duolingo.com, their 2021 Duolingo Language Report presents the latest language trends and learner behaviors based on data from over 500 million Duolingo learners around the globe. Duolingo is the world’s most downloaded education app,
offering over 100 courses teaching 40 languages—all for free.
As a result, their data offers unique insights into what languages learners worldwide want to study and how their interests change over time and geography. In 2020, the Duolingo Language Report noted record growth of new learners who started studying a language during the pandemic, whether to keep up with schoolwork or connect with people around the world. This year’s report investigates how those patterns have evolved in 2021.
Love for Asian languages continues to grow around the globe
In 2021, Asian languages—especially Japanese and Korean—attracted learners worldwide, building on the impressive growth observed in 2020.
- Japanese surpassed Italian globally to become the 5th most popular language to study, and it’s the fastest-growing language in the U.S. and U.K.
- Korean—holding strong at the 7th most popular language to study around the world—is the fastest-growing language in Brazil, France, Germany, India, and Mexico, and it ranks as the second-fastest growing language in Japan!
- Chinese, which was the 10th most popular language to study in 2020, has overtaken Russian and Portuguese for the 8th spot worldwide. It is also one of the top 5 fastest-growing languages in Mexico and Brazil.
World interest in under-studied languages increases—again!
English, Spanish, and French remain the most popular languages to study globally.
The languages occupying the #2 spot in each country are also becoming increasingly diverse: this year, old favorites like French, Spanish, and German are joined by two new additions to this list: Finnish and Guaraní. Finnish has become the second most popular language to study in Finland, and similarly Guaraní, an indigenous language from South America, is now the #2 language studied in Paraguay, where it is an official language.
Family and culture drive learners to study new languages
Family and culture have become important motivators for language study, and this is especially true for learners studying Asian languages. For example, over 18% of new learners studying Japanese are motivated by culture; in contrast, only 8% of English learners, 9% of Spanish learners, and 10% of French learners in 2021 chose
culture as their primary reason for language learning.
The importance of family and culture for U.S. language learners was echoed in a recent national consumer survey Duolingo conducted in collaboration with DKC Analytics. Across all respondents, including those not currently learning a language, 65% said learning about a new culture would be their top reason for studying a new language—and culture ranked ahead of all other potential motivators.
Of those respondents who had started learning a language during the pandemic,
70% say their learning is related to family heritage, ancestry, or culture.
In fact, 94% of learners whose family language is endangered, indigenous, or otherwise under-studied said they would be interested (or very interested!) in learning that language. Data from learners on Duolingo supports this finding: when learners have access to more diverse course offerings, including less-commonly studied languages that better represent their interests, families, and communities, people are excited to start studying a language.
Language learning highlights from around the world
There’s even more to uncover in our data about how interests in languages grow and change over time. Below are some other notable findings from around the world.
- Top 10 languages studied around the world (in order): English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese.
- In 2021, the hardest-working countries were (in order): Czechia, Japan, Belarus, Germany, and Hungary. These are the countries that complete the most lessons per learner. This year’s ranking marks gains for Czechia and Belarus, and slight drops for Germany (the former #1) and Hungary (formerly #3).
- Like the rest of the world, Brazil is excited to study Japanese and Korean: Japanese is the fastest-growing language in Brazil, and Korean is 4th—reversing the 2020 order, which had Korean ahead of Japanese. But the fastest-growing language in the country is Turkish, likely due to Brazilians’ interest in Turkish soap operas!
- The fight for Australia continues: French was the most popular language to study there in 2016, ahead of #2 Spanish, but Spanish pulled ahead to #1 in 2020. This year, French is back on top.
- South Africa, on the other hand, has seen its Spanish-learning population just overtake the number of French learners: while French was #1 in 2016 and 2020, Spanish is now the most popular language to learn. South African learners will be an especially interesting group to watch in the coming years, as Duolingo is launching new courses in 2022 to teach Zulu and Xhosa, two languages from South Africa. Will interest in Spanish and French decline when learners are able to study the languages of their country?
- Welsh continues to be one of the fastest-growing languages in the U.K., even six years after the course was introduced. In 2020, Welsh ranked #1 among fastest-growing languages, and it made a strong showing at #2 in 2021. This year, Welsh was beat out by Japanese for the top spot, and British learners’ growing interest in these languages demonstrates what we see around the world: people are studying more Asian languages and more languages with personal significance.
- In Japan, Korean has skyrocketed to become the second most popular language to study—and it wasn’t even in Japan’s top 5 last year!
- Learners throughout Africa are also studying a wider variety of languages. In 2020, English and French were the #1 languages to learn in Africa, but this year five languages reached #1 across the continent: English, French, Spanish, German, and Swahili!
Irish has retained its popularity in Ireland as the #1 language to study, and it has beat out Spanish for the second year in a row. - In 2020, Japanese and Korean were on the map as the most popular languages to study in some of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and their popularity has grown: there are now more Korean learners than English learners in Mongolia, and these languages occupy both of the top spots in Bhutan, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
Read alsoHow much do you know about Hungarian? – Quiz
The best international restaurants in Budapest PART 2 — PHOTOS
You do not even have to leave Budapest if you want to taste different flavours of the world. You can explore almost every country’s cuisine in the Hungarian capital. In the previous part, we showed you the best Greek, American, and Chinese restaurants. This time, travel with us to Japan, Italy, or even Mexico. Discover the best international restaurants in Budapest!
Okuyama No Sushi
Sachi Okuyama’s Restaurant is located in Óbuda. They share little information about themselves, probably because of Okuyama’s humble nature. However, you can find them on every Japanese restaurant list. Okuyama learned the skills of sushi making when he was only 12 years old.
Okuyama uses the best ingredients for every dish.
He had also worked at Hilton before opening his own restaurant. He imports the fish from abroad by plane. The restaurant offers all kinds of food and drink specialities present in the Japanese cuisine.
Komachi Bistro
Komachi Bistro is located in Kertész Street, in the 7th district. Komuchi offers Japanese dishes at a cheap price.
Ramen, tonkatsu, curry, and donburi are all waiting for hungry guests.
They also have permanent and seasonal dishes on their menu. Anyone visiting should be aware of the opening hours as the bistro only operates 5 days a week.
Trattoria Pomo D’oro
This traditional Italian restaurant is located at the heart of Budapest. They fuse traditional and unique methods and flavours. Chef Rosaria also prepares dishes based on her own recipe collection. Rare mushroom and fresh fish specialties enchant guests.
Pomo D’oro was the first in Hungary to receive the patronage board of the Italian Chefs’ Association. Italian melodies and a huge selection of wines complete the exprience. No wonder that Trattoria Pomo D’Oro is one of the most popular international restaurants in Budapest.
Caffé GianMario
Caffé GianMario can be found in the 6th district of Budapest. It is home to delicious pastas and pizzas, and even breakfast is available. It is worth booking a table in advance because it is almost always full of tourists, local Italians, and Hungarians. The family restaurant is run by Italians. If you want to expereince the original Italian small-town atmosphere, this is the place for you!
Iguana Bar & Grill
The Iguana Bar & Grill in the 5th district serves authentic Mexican cuisine. Operating since 1997, Iguan specialises in fajitas, enchiladas, chimichanga, and chorizo.
If you are not hungry yet, head first to the bar for an aperitif.
Enjoy your time with your friends while savouring the best margaritas, mojitos, and tequila shots accompanied with nachos and guacamole. The bar also holds one of Europe’s largest Cinco de Mayo events in May. A truly inimitable Mexican fiesta atmosphere awaits you.
Gringos Amigos
Even though the tortillas are always fresh and handmade, you do not have to wait a lot to be served. You can find Gringos Amigos in several places in the Hungarian capital. You can order a variety of dishes in vegetarian or gluten-free versions. Their seasoning is similar to the authentic Mexican flavours. You can try burrito, quasedilla, and, of course, tacos. Since you can customise your order, it is a good idea to come back again and try different flavours each time. You are guaranteed not to get bored.
Budapest’s astonishing Hungarian House of Music to open soon! – PHOTOS, VIDEO
Magyar Zene Háza, which translates to Hungarian House of Music, is projected to open in 2022. As the name suggests, the building is dedicated to music. The futuristic modern design is coupled with special engineering solutions. The Hungarian music hall will serve three different functions. The building will consist of three storeys which will be separated by design elements and space.
Hello Magyar reports that a 1,000 square-meter interactive exhibition will open next year in Magyar Zene Háza. Now, the finishing touches of the building are in progress. The institution is located in Liget Budapest and aims to introduce visitors, both adults and children, to the world of music.
The new Hungarian music hall has three functions. It will be the place of education, knowledge sharing as well as concerts and music. The concert rooms will be situated at park level. The exhibition areas that do not require natural light will be located underground. The music pedagogy and research rooms will be found upstairs. The building marks the work of Sou Fujimoto, one of the most acknowledged Japanese architects.
Read alsoHungarian company designs futuristic buildings that blend into nature – PHOTOS
“Sou Fujimoto, founder of Sou Fujimoto Architects in Tokyo, does not see nature and the built environment as opposing forces, but seeks to integrate and learn from the environment as much as possible throughout the design process. Most notably, Fujimoto was selected to design the 2013 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, and in 2019, as one of the 23 architects to reinvent Paris.” – writes resite.org. The constructors are currently putting the finishing touches to the new Hungarian music hall. They install the sound sensors and other technical equipment. The building will also feature a unique element called the Hangdóm.
The Hangdóm (Sound Dome) is a truly unparalelelled installation that cannot be found in the same size anywhere else in the world. This iconic feature that resembles a dome or a bell will leave visitors astonished. 31 speakers will ensure the perfect sound quality while images will be projected on the dome in 360 degrees by 8 projectors. The building will host countless remarkable programs. Visitors will be entertained by unique permanent and temporary exhibitions.
The permanent exhibition called Sound Dimensions – Musical Journeys in Space and Time is designed like a labyrinth of music. It will make the visitors feel as if they embarked on a journey in virtual reality during which they can discover almost 3,000 musical excerpts from the last two millennia. The audience can walk through the spacious interior while listening to the best pieces of the European and Hungarian music history in excellent sound quality. HERE you can reach the official website to see the upcoming programs.
Read alsoCutting-edge super hospital to be built in Budapest – PHOTOS
Hungarian passport ranked top 10 in the world
Despite the rather small size of Hungary, from time to time, it has made it onto the list of the best passports in the world, and in the past two years, it has been in the top 10 even. This year, Hungary has managed to improve its score, placing higher among the top 10.
The Henley Passport Index has been compiled by Henley & Partners since 2006. It ranks all 199 countries around the globe, utilising the data of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to Index, the list is compiled by taking into account where, out of the 227 destinations, a given country’s passport is allowed to travel without needing a visa.
If they allow travel there, they get a point, but if the destination requires a prior visa, then it does not get a point. In this way, it is possible to have multiple passports with the same score, so there are a couple of places in the top 10 where there are more countries tied for the rank.
Top 10 passports in 2021:
- Japan and Singapore
- South Korea and Germany
- Spain, Luxembourg, Finland, Italy
- Austria and Denmark
- France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden
- Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand
- USA, UK, Greece, the Czech Republic, Malta, Norway
- Australia and Canada
- Hungary
- Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia
As you can see, the best passports in the world are from Japan and Singapore. With these passports, you can visit up to 192 destinations without a visa prior to your travel.
Planning to come to Hungary? It might be difficult to find a tour guide!
This also includes destinations where you can acquire a visa at the border of the destination. If you want to travel, you need to keep that in mind. The second-best passports let you travel to 190 destinations, meaning that the competition is tough. In seventh place, where the most tied passports are, they let you travel to 185 destinations.
That is where Hungary comes in. According to Nlc, last year, Hungary’s passport allowed entry to 182 destinations, but this time, the country has improved on this by one point, which put Hungary from 10th place to 9th.
Index says that back in 2014, the list was led by Anglo-Saxon countries, but for the past few years and in 2021 as well, the top 10 passports have been dominated by European countries, save the first rank.
The three worst passports on the list are Syria with 29 destinations in 114th place. Iraq’s passport allows travel to 28 destinations without prior visa, and it was ranked 115th. The worst passport, according to 2021 data, is Afghanistan in 116th place, allowing entry only to 26 destinations out of the 227.
Read alsoWizz Air announces expansion of Budapest network with exotic destinations
Japanese child choir sings in Hungarian for the Olympic team – VIDEO
The kind gesture was recorded, so now you can see and listen to how the Japanese kids sing in Hungarian.
The Tokyo Olympics came to an end on Sunday, but it will undoubtedly be a talking topic in several television shows for a while. Although the centre of attention is obviously sports, we do not always talk only about the athletes when it comes to the Games.
The most memorable moments of Hungary in the Tokyo2020 Olympics
The Hungarian Cultural Institute of Tokyo and a children’s choir adorably surprised the Hungarian Olympic Team. Their action was recorded on camera and uploaded on YouTube to blow our minds.
A big group of Japanese kids dressed in Hungarian colours with flowers, flags, and small signs in their hands sung to them in Hungarian.
Choir Director Sachiko Mager had spent one year in Hungary, during which she learnt the mysteries of the Kodály Method, an approach of music education, writes szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu.
When she returned to Japan, she founded the Fény Children’s Choir. (“Children of Light”).
Fény was started in 1998 with children from the age of 3 through 18. “Currently, we have about 90 members. We sing a mix of songs, mostly in Japanese, English, and Hungarian”, she writes on the website of European Capital Culture.
Her latest work with her kids was a tribute both to Hungary and the Hungarian Olympic team. She taught her little singers a famous Hungarian song, which she recorded and the Institute posted on YouTube.
As she writes on her Facebook page, “it was the first Hungarian song I challenged my kids with”.
Her choir became a real cheering team. She posted several videos about her children in different colours of countries, supporting them.
She did a wonderful job, the members of the choir sing almost perfectly Soho Party’s The night can never end.
At the beginning of the video, they express their gratitude and aim to support the Hungarian athletes with the song.
Sachiko says that she was really touched by Hungarian music, so she studied for a year in Budapest. She was amazed by how developed the educational and pedagogical system of music was. “I wanted to give this knowledge to Japanese children”.
The video’s description box writes that “Hungarian supporters are well-known in the world, and the atmosphere and cheering that echo in the stadiums during a football game reached Japan.
Although this song is primarily about football, the Japanese children send the performance to the Hungarian Olympic team and the Hungarians.”
