The Indian Community of Edogawa ~ A Volunteer Organization for Indians, Created out of the Frontier Spirit ~

Crossing the Arakawa River on the Tozai Line, the first station is Nishi-kasai (Edogawa ward). The area has become well known as the home of large numbers of people from India. The number of people of Indian origin living in Tokyo is 13,236 (as of July 2021), of which 5,170 live in Edogawa ward, where Nishi-kasai is located. Why was an Indian community established in this area? We interviewed Mr. Jagmohan S. Chandrani, who heads the Indian Community of Edogawa.

He came to Nishi-kasai to secure a warehouse for tea. That was before the Nishi-kasai station was built.

Mr. Chandrani came to Japan in 1978 to start his business. At a time when tea was generally regarded as British in Japan, he began to promote Indian tea. To start his business, he needed a warehouse to store his tea. After considering various locations, he found out that there was a new logistics center (with a warehouse complex and truck terminal, etc.) in the bay area of the Edogawa-ward. He moved to Nishi-kasai in 1979. And Nishi-kasai Station was completed later in the same year. From then until the late 90's, when almost 20 years had passed, there were only about 4 families of Indians in the area.

IT engineers came to Japan from India, due to the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem.

"Around 1997-98, I started to see people who seemed to be from India around Nishi-kasai, one after another. When I talked to them, I found out that they were all IT engineers who had come to Japan to work on the Year 2000 computer problem." It was said that computers could malfunction at the transition to the new century, and many engineers were brought from India - a country that was becoming known as an IT powerhouse - to deal with the problem. "They worked in government offices, major corporations, insurance companies, banks, and so on. They lived in nearby hotels and ate at eateries in town. Among them, people who worked in Otemachi, Kayabacho, and other areas along the Tozai Line began to live in apartments near Nishi-kasai Station - a convenient commuting area - rented out by the companies they worked for." The area around Nishi-kasai Station had many condominiums and large apartment complexes, which were ideal for securing housing for the hundreds of engineers who came to Japan.

The Indian Community of Edogawa was established in 1998.

They were by themselves, away from their families, many of them were vegetarians, and it was difficult for them to get a satisfying meal at local eateries. So, they decided to rent rooms and cook for themselves. Mr. Chandrani wanted to help them, so he established the "Indian Community of Edogawa" and did his best to help them; such as negotiating with real estate agents. However, the last problem was with "guarantors" when it came to signing lease contracts. Mr. Chandrani said, "I became the guarantor after thinking it over". And, thanks to him, many were able to put down roots in Nishi-kasai.
The next challenge was cooking. "Indian men rarely cook for themselves, as their mothers prepare meals before marriage, and their wives after marriage. They had no choice but to try to cook for themselves in Japan, but the results were not appetizing. So, I brought in cooks from India, and opened an eatery. It was like a staff meal whose menu changes every day," said Mr. Chandrani. This small eatery was very crowded every night.
We asked Mr. Chandrani about the "Indian Community of Edogawa". "We are the ‘Indian Community of Edogawa', since it was founded in Edogawa. We are a completely volunteer organization. Anyone from India is free to become a member, and it doesn't cost any money. Communication is through the Internet. No matter where you are in the world, there are no limits. As long as the feelings are connected, it's okay."

Preparing things they need for their life, one by one.

After 2000, the engineers who had come from India alone also invited their wives over, as they lived in Japan longer. Then, instead of going all the way to the eatery, wives could cook the food, but there was no place that sold the necessary spices and other ingredients. So, Mr. Chandrani started a grocery store. Furthermore, when they needed a school for their children, he built an Indian school. "They were in need, so I made it. It is simple. Also, if they are living here, they would be lonely without at least a festival," said Mr. Chandrani. So, he started the "Tokyo Diwali Festa Nishi-kasai," a re-creation of the Indian autumn harvest festival. In the beginning, there were about 40 participants but, three years later, the number of participants has grown to about 300. Since then, the festival has continued for more than 20 years, and has expanded to attract nearly 10,000 visitors; becoming an important festival for the people of both Japan and India, to interact with each other.
Indian vegetables from India, are now available in some local supermarkets. The Indian school has grown to 1,200 students from kindergarten through high school. About 30% of them are Japanese children. "We let go of the grocery store and the school. We did what we did to help people and not for business, so we can leave it to the professionals," Mr. Chandrani said with a smile.

Children in Nishi-kasai are cosmopolitan.

"More and more people from India will be coming to Japan in the future. I believe that newcomers to Japan will be relieved by the existence of the Indian Community of Edogawa. I think there is a need for them to do things here as they did them in their own country. There are still many things that need to be built for the community to be established. At the same time, I hope they have the opportunity to experience Japanese culture. It would be sad if they came all the way to Japan only to want to live as they did in their home country. I want them to take at least some Japanese culture back to their homeland," said Mr. Chandrani.
"I think internationalization in Japan is progressing. I would like Nishi-kasai to be a cosmopolitan town rather than an international town. Even if our roots are all different, we are all people of Nishi-kasai, if we live here."
Whenever an Indian dance is performed at a festival, children start imitating it and dance along. They say "hello", when they meet a foreigner on the street. "The children are already cosmopolitan," Mr. Chandrani laughed. As these children grow up, Nishi-Kasai is becoming a town where people with various backgrounds can live comfortably.

*This article is based on information available at the time of the interview. For the latest information, please contact the organization directly.