Namaste Edogawaku ~ Realizing a multicultural society from Edogawa ward: "Little India" in Tokyo ~

Namaste Edogawaku is a citizens' group that conducts exchange events between Indian and Japanese residents in the Edogawa ward, where there are many residents of Indian origin. The organization was established to serve as a role model for a "compassionate symbiotic society," in which foreigners and Japanese people can understand each other and live together. The organization does not want to unilaterally provide something to the community as a Japanese organization, but to provide a place where Indian and Japanese people can bring their cultures to each other, and a place where both cultures can be combined, to break down the barriers between people from Japan, India, and other countries, and to create a society where people can support each other with consideration and compassion. On behalf of the organization, we interviewed Mr. Yuichi Kondo, a Japanese who has lived in India and understands Indians well, and Mr. Mahaveer Sahni, an Indian who has been living in Japan for a long time and understands Japanese people very well.

Edogawa ward: the city with the largest Indian population in Tokyo

There are 36,947 foreigners living in Edogawa ward. It is particularly known as the ward with the largest number of Indians in Tokyo, with 5,717 (as of July 2022, according to statistics from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government). As we introduced in the January 2022 issue of Close Up, Indian residents in the Edogawa ward have long made efforts to live in harmony with Japanese people in the community, while successfully incorporating Indian culture into their lives.
Mr. Yuichi Kondo, the representative of the organization, was inspired to establish this organization as far back as during his studies in India after graduating from college. Mr. Kondo became interested in India after studying the Indian economy in class during his time in school, and decided to study in India because of its potential for his career as well as the cost of studying abroad. "I thought that by getting to know the people of India (there) and coming back, I could be of service to society as a talent needed by both Japan and India."
Mr. Kondo arrived in India on his own and finally found a homestay with a single family with two children. His host mother not only welcomed Mr. Kondo warmly but also took care of all aspects of his life in India. He sometimes wonders what would have happened to him if he had not met that family.
"Before I went to India to study, I had a little bit of arrogance that I was going there to 'help'. But, in fact, I was helped. I never forget how grateful I am to my host mother and to the people of India for helping me."

Namaste Edogawaku - launched to give back to India-

Mr. Kondo returned to Japan after spending five years in India studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and doing a post-graduate course at Delhi University while staying with a host family. After returning to Japan, he found a job at a shipping company. While working in import and export between India and Japan, Mr. Kondo wanted to give back to India at some point. It was during that time that Mr. Kondo met Mr. Sahni at a community of Jawaharlal Nehru University alumni. After confiding his feelings to Mr. Sahni, Mr. Kondo launched Namaste Edogawaku with him in November 2020 in Edogawa ward, the city with the largest Indian population in Tokyo.
In Edogawa ward, where many Indians reside - but where there is still somewhat of a divide between Japanese and Indian residents - the organization has begun hosting a forum for Indians and Japanese to get to know each other. "We have organized events such as Indian residents cooking Indian curry with Japanese and Indian children at an after-school facility and performing Indian dances for the local residents, at a ward community center. In South India, there is a festival similar to the Japanese Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri) called Golu, where dolls of Hindu deities are displayed. About 40 Japanese and Indian families joined us to enjoy Hinamatsuri, decorating Japanese and Hindu dolls together," says Mr. Kondo.
Some Indians living in Edogawa ward do not speak Japanese and have difficulty communicating with Japanese people. However, by combining Indian and Japanese cultures, the organization is creating a place for cultural exchange and communication in which it is easy to participate for those who do not speak Japanese.
"There are many similarities between Japan and India, so our mission is to help people learn more about India," says Mr. Sahni.

Edogawa ward has an environment that is conducive to activity, both in terms of location and people.

Mr. Kondo and his fellow workers chose the Edogawa ward not only because of its close ties to India but also because of the convenience of the area for their activities.
"The Edogawa ward is a good environment in which for foreigners to live and work. Also, I think there are many people who are open to foreigners. There is also a ground for organizations to cooperate with each other," says Mr. Kondo. Since there are many non-Indian foreigners living in this area as well, local ordinances for multicultural coexistence are in place, and there are many collaborators, including other organizations and ward council members. In addition, there are many organizations in the Edogawa ward that are open to foreigners.
The organitizaon is run by three members, but depending on the event, they may work with 20 to 30 volunteers. Mr. Kondo says that there are various organizations in the Edogawa ward, such as the "Edogawa Methi Promotion Association," which grows methi - a vegetable popular in India - and that such organizations sometimes cooperate at events. "When we are working on our own, it sometimes becomes difficult to come up with ideas. We are considering collaborating not only with organizations in the Edogawa ward but also with other communities with a large Indian population. We would also like to work not only in a ‘multicultural' manner but also in a ‘multigenerational' one."

A home visit program gives students an experience of Indian culture.

The organization launched a home visit program in June 2022, offering Japanese students the opportunity to visit Indian families and spend half a day with them. The background behind the planning of the program is that both Mr. Kondo and Mr. Sahni had experience with homestays. "When I first came to Japan, I lived alone for the first time, and there were times when I felt lonely. (Then) I stayed with a Japanese family and learned about the daily routine of a Japanese family, had friendly conversations, and tasted Japanese home cooking. I was able to experience many things, and for the first time I felt happy to have come to Japan," says Mr. Sahni. They say that many Indian families are willing to host Japanese students. They explain that even just making curry with Japanese students can be an opportunity for Indian housewives to connect with Japanese society, especially for Indian housewives who are often isolated because they cannot speak Japanese and are usually at home.
Mr. Kondo also explains that the main target of the program is students, as follows. "There are quite a few students who want to go to India, but now it is difficult to study abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the students who have participated so far have never been to India, so they were surprised at the basics in terms of food and clothing. I would like them to experience a little bit of Indian culture through the home visit program, such as eating authentic Indian curry - which is completely different from Japanese curry - and wearing the national costume of India: sari."
Mr. Kondo and Mr. Sahni hope that contact with Indian people and culture provides Japanese students with an opportunity to broaden their perspectives and open up to new possibilities, as well as a chance for the students to look at themselves.

Japan and India, building dialogue and exchange through each other's culture

Mr. Kondo and Mr. Sahni have been working on various plans for future Namaste Edogawaku activities.
Currently, the organization is registered with the government as a civic organization, but they are considering incorporation in the future. In addition, Mr. Kondo himself is preparing to become a licensed administrative scrivener to assist with legal procedures when applying for visas and establishing a company. "It has been difficult (so far) because of COVID-19, but we would like to increase the number of group members and create more ‘places' and ‘opportunities' for Japanese and Indian people to communicate with each other. Through the exchange, we hope to create a relationship where Indians and Japanese can help each other," Mr. Sahni says.
However, while the organization aims to realize a multicultural society through exchange, they also feel that there are challenges.
"Most of the people who attend our events are people who are interested in foreign countries and multicultural coexistence. On the other hand, certain people do not have a good impression of foreigners. As the number of foreign residents increases, we believe that the Japanese people must change. It may be difficult for one generation to do so, but we hope to create such a foundation and pass it on to the children of the next generation," says Mr. Kondo.
Although the number of foreign residents is increasing, some people may still have limited opportunities to interact with foreigners. As Japanese and foreigners engage in dialogue and exchange through each other's cultures, they learn about each other and transform into a relationship where they can help each other as members of a symbiotic society. Through the collective efforts of such actions, a multicultural society will be realized.

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