Everyone knows that Greeks are good at arts and sciences like philosophy, mathematics and medicine.
But what else are they leading in?
Apparently, Greeks are quite good at words and especially at combining those words in a haiku.
Haiku is short form of Japanese poetry which also seems to be mastered by the people living in Greece.
…At least according to the EU and the Japanese foreign ministry which organised a Japan-EU English Haiku contest over the summer, proudly won in its EU part by a Greek.
The delegation of the European Union to Japan announced Monday that Giogos Paximadis has won the first prize among EU entries and will be invited to the birthplace of modern Japanese haiku - the city of Matsuyama.
A three-member jury had to look at a total of 710 entries that were received between 3 June and 1 August – 185 from Japanese and 525 from EU Member State nationals.
On the other hand, a Japanese girl from Kyoto named Misato Oi has won the first prize among the Japanese entries and will visit Belgium.
Below, our readers can enjoy the two best works together with the messages the candidates attached to them.
rainbow of hope
amidst ocean breeze
the lone pine tree
Giogos Paximadis (Greece)
Message from candidate: The “miracle” pine tree of Rikuzentakata which survived the tsunami disaster of March 2011, will always be a symbol of hope and perseverance in the hearts and minds of people all over the world.
Heading to the rainbow
— we are the one
on the same boat
Misato Oi (Kyoto, Japan)
Message from candidate:
I saw a rainbow with my crew members while ιν rowing practice. I was exhausted with hard practice, however, the rainbow was beyond description and I could exert my last strength. Also, I was so happy that I could share the same experience with my teammates. I want to treasure this kind of everyday affairs. This is how I came up with this English haiku.