Astana / Kazakhstan

A long time ago, a priest named Tripitaka traveled all the way from China to India by passing through the steep mountain paths that connect the two countries. When they went over the mountain, they saw the place we now call Kazakhstan. Seven times larger than Japan, this country is one of the economic giants of Central Asia maintaining economic growth of 9-10% supported by abundant natural resources that include oil, gas, uranium and rare metals.

Recently the country has attracted considerable attention as several oil fields containing one million barrels each were found in Kashagan located in the north of the Caspian Sea. The country has a population of 15 million, with Kazakhs accounting for nearly 60% and the remainder including Russians, Ukrainians and other races from the former Soviet Union countries. However, these people show no signs of racial discrimination, which is one of the factors making Kazakhstan a wonderful place.

Although the people are mostly Muslim, Christmas arrives to the sound of Jingle Bells, with the streets decorated with Christmas trees. This may be explained by the fact that Kazakhs originated from equestrian people and have a history of understanding and respecting different religions and customs.

The Kazakh people look very similar to the Japanese people. It is like finding your neighbors in some Kazakh streets. Despite the resemblance, their eating habits are quite different from ours and mainly consist of mutton.

Kazakhs boast that they are the biggest consumers of meat after wolves.Kazakhs also have some similarities with Edokko (traditional Tokyoites) in that both are eager to show their generosity. When you are invited to someone's home in Japan, you will expect a bowl of rice and tea at the end of dinner. Instead, Kazakh families close the reception with Besparmak (five fingers), a huge volume of mutton, potatoes and suiton (a type of boiled wheat) on a large plate measuring 40 centimeters in diameter. The banquet stays on the table until you say you have already eaten too much. Even though it appears they go to a lot of trouble in cooking so many dishes, and you may think they could have saved much of the troubles of preparing so many dishes, this is what they do whenever they invite guests.

Kazakhstan is now eager to develop and export its wealth of resources with the aim of joining advanced nations. Many of the government ministers are in their thirties or forties. The country also has many businesspeople who are smart and fluent in English. Although you may hear gloomy news about Central Asia, such as riots and civil unrest, a picture is worth thousand words. Our recommendation of this country should be noted, as it has many business opportunities.

Astana, the new capital Marubeni received an order for the construction of Astana Airport An oil field in Kashagan