44th Saraswati Puja on 18th February, 2024.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at Ikegami Kaikan in Ota-ku. This year, we got a new Saraswati Pratima from artist Mr. Kaushik Ghosh of Kumartuli, Kolkata. The stage decoration was done by Mrs. Meeta Chanda. About 155 members of the community and friends of BATJ attended the event. Mr. Anirvan Mukherjee performed the puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Pushpanjali. Three kids of a BATJ member had their Hate-khori done on this day.
Mr. Mayank Joshi, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Tokyo attended our puja as the Ambassador's Representative along with his wife Mrs. Isha Joshi. They were our Chief Guests and offered Pushpanjali. Mr. Dhiraj Mukhia, Minister (Consular) at the Embassy of India, Mr. Ryuko Hira and his wife Mrs. Kayako Hira also attended as our invited honoured guests.
Puja was followed by a short morning cultural program. A welcome speech was delivered by Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhay on behalf of BATJ. Mr. Joshi delivered a short speech in which he underlined the significance of India Japan relationship. A bouquet of flowers was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Joshi by Mrs. Keiko Chattopadhay on behalf of BATJ. Thereafter, BATJ members and Mr. Tomo Hira presented several Saraswati Vandana which was followed by a Veena play by Mrs. Hemalakshmi Kavuri, a professional guest artist from India. The morning program was emceed by Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhay.
A dry prasad box containing dried fruits, nuts and fresh fruits plus several fresh Indian sweets and namkeens was arranged for all attending members and their families.
This was mostly done with generous donations from BATJ members.
After that, lunch was catered by Priya Restaurant and the lunch menu included- Kichuri, Mixed veg with paneer tarkari, Alu jhuri bhaja, Chatni, Papad, Aachar and Gulab jamun.
After lunch, a wonderful evening cultural program was presented by the adults and children of BATJ members. This program was emceed by Mrs. Sohini Mathur. This was followed by Arati.
After Arati, a sayonara program was held to say "Thank You and Good By" to Mr. Swarna Kamal Banerjee and Mrs. Soma Banerjee who are our members and deeply involved in all BATJ activities and now they are returning to Kolkata.
Finally, the evening tea was served to everyone with snacks (samosa, vegetable cutlet and jilebies) delivered by Moti Restaurant and Roy's Kitchen. As always, it was a very enjoyable day for all.
34th Durga Puja on 21st October, 2023
This year Durga Puja was held at the 4th floor Convention Hall at the PIO Complex in Ota- Ku, Tokyo on October 21st, Saturday. It was actually Saptami Puja day. This was our 34th Durga Puja in Tokyo. Following the past tradition, 28th edition of BATJ Anjali Magazine was also published on the puja day. This year's theme was remembering a few of the Bengali cultural stalwarts of the past.This year, we got a new Durga Pratima from the famous artist Mr. Kaushik Ghosh of Kumartuli, Kolkata. Some of our members specially donated for purchase of the new Pratima and their names are acknowledged in the Anjali Magazine. Mr. Anirvan Mukherjee performed the puja, and it was attended by about three hundred fifty enthusiastic members and guests. Puja was open for all attendees this year as COVID-19 protocol was relaxed to a large extent.
Morning Puja was followed by pushpanjali. Thereafter, prasad boxes were served. The prasad box contained dried fruits, nuts and fresh fruits plus several fresh Indian sweets and namkeens, all specially donated by some of our BATJ members.
His Excellency Mr. Sibi George, Ambassador of India to Japan could not attend the event due to other commitments, Ms. Debjani Chakraborty, Minister (Economy and Commerce), Embassy of India, Tokyo attended the Puja on behalf of the Ambassador. Ms. Debjani Chakraborty released the Anjali Magazine and delivered a short speech to the assembled guests. A flower bouquet was presented to her by Mrs. Rita Kar on behalf of BATJ. Mr. Dhiraj Mukhia, Minister (Consular), Embassy of India, Tokyo and Swami Divyanathananda from the Vedanta Society of Japan were also present as our guests. After this, a short cultural program was presented by the BATJ Members with koto play, tabla play, song and dance on the theme of Durga Bodhan. Swami Divyanathananda sang a devotional song in this program. Mr. Partha Kumar conducted the morning program.
After that, hot lunch prepared by Priya Restaurant of Tokyo, was served to everyone by the BATJ volunteers. The lunch menu included- Kichuri, Mixed veg with paneer tarkari, Alu jhuri bhaja, Chatni, Papad, Aachar and Gulab jamun.
A cultural program followed after lunch. The cultural program was coordinated by Mrs. Rita Kar. At first, some guest members from the Odia community performed songs and dances. Thereafter, our BATJ Members presented a cultural program in remembrance of the famous music director Salil Chaowdhury comprising narration, songs and dances. Mrs. Joyita Dutta, Mrs. Sangeetha Krishnamoorty and Mrs. Chandrima Kundu were the Emcees for the program. After the cultural program, hot Masala tea was served to everyone. The day ended with evening Puja and Devi Baran. Sindur Khela by ladies and Bisarjan Dances. And finally, everyone chanted "aasche bochor, abar hobe".
Before returning home, everyone got a dinner packet prepared by Priya Restaurant. The menu was -Basanti puiao, Chicken kosha, Cholar dal with narkol and Gajjar halwa. Those who do not take rice or chicken, got a vegetarian packet with Karaishutir kochuri, Alur dom, Cholar dal with narkol and Gajjar halwa. Priya Restaurant also added Karaishutir kochuri in the non veg dinner boxes on their own and they were thanked by everyone for that.
Rabindra Jayanti on 27th May, 2023.
Rabindra jayanti was organized by BATJ on a Saturday evening, May 27, 2023 to commemorate the 162nd birth anniversary of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. The function was held at the Sancha Sharenade Hall at Sangenjaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. The program started with "Hey Nuton" chorus by our BATJ members, followed by a recitation of "Aji Hote, Soto Borso Pore" by Mrs. Purnima Ghosh. Then a welcome address by Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhyay in English and Mrs. Keiko Chattopadhyay in Japanese. Thereafter, Mr. Manoj Singh Negi, First Secretary (Education and Culture), Embassy of India in Tokyo addressed the audience. After that, Mr. & Mrs. Negi was presented with a flower bouquet by our Mrs. Priya Panda.
After that, the main cultural part started with a solo by Swami Divyanathananda of Japan Vedanta Society. Next our three BATJ children performed one after another. Next to this Mr. Tomoko Kambe sang two songs, she is the pioneer of Rabindra Jayanti in Tokyo which she started almost 40 years back. After this, a combined Tagore songs and dances program was presented by Ms. Yuka Okuda. At first,
Yuka Okuda sang a solo, then she recited and Mrs. Sukrishina Ishii danced in its tune, finally Yuka Okuda and her 9 Japanese students sang a chorus and Mrs. Setsu Ogawa danced to their tune. Mr. Masanori Hisamoto accompanied them with Tabla.
Then, BATJ members presented a few Rabindra Sangeet in Hindi and after that, they presented a Nritya Geeti Alekhya " Bohurupe Sommukhe Tomar" written by Mrs. Kathakali Datta.
The whole program was coordinated by Ms. Rita Kar. The stage was beautifully decorated by Mrs. Meeta Chanda. After the cultural program, an Indian style Chinese dinner was served to all the participants by the Priya Restaurant of Tokyo. In all, about 150 people attended and out of them, 30 were Japanese. We thank all our friends for their participation and look forward to their presence in the future as we hope to organize such events in the future with valuable support from our Japanese friends.
43rd Saraswati Puja on 21st January, 2023.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at Ikegami Kaikan in Ota-ku. This year the Puja was held in person. About 135 members of the community and friends of BATJ attended the event. The chief guest of the ceremony was Mrs. Konika Aggarwal, Director of Vivekananda Cultural Center at the Embassy of India, representing H.E. ambassador Mr. Sibi George who could not attend the program due to other engagements. Also, Swami Divyanathanand Maharaj from Ramakrishna Mission at Zushi attended the program. Mr. Anirvan Mukherjee performed the puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali. This year, one little girl had her Hate Khori after the Puja. Puja was open for all attendees this year as COVID-19 protocols are relaxed, with mask-wearing and hand sanitizing still being enforced.
Puja was followed by a welcome speech delivered by Mr. Partha Kumar on behalf of BATJ. Mrs. Aggarwal delivered a short speech in which she underlined the significance of Goddess Saraswati in Indian culture and also in Japan. A bouquet of flowers was presented to Mrs. Aggarwal by Mrs. Reimi Dasdeb on behalf of BATJ. A dry prasad packet was arranged for all attending members and their families. This was mostly done with generous donations from BATJ members. After that, lunch was catered by Priya Restaurant. After lunch, children and adults put up a wonderful cultural program. This program was Emceed by the youngsters of BATJ under the direction of Mrs. Joyita Dutta. This was followed by Arati and then evening snacks catered by Moti Restaurant were distributed to all. As always, it was a very enjoyable day for all, especially for the kids with a day of funfilled activities.
33rd Durga Puja on 1st October, 2022
This year Durga Puja was held at the PIO Hall in Ota- Ku, Tokyo on October 1st, Saturday. It was actually Sasthi Puja day. This was our 33rd Durga Puja in Tokyo. The occasion was commemorated by releasing the 27th edition of BATJ`s cultural magazine- Anjali. This year's theme was 75th anniversary of India's independence and 70th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relationship. Mr. Anirvan Mukherjee performed the puja, and it was attended by about three hundred enthusiastic devotees and guests. Puja was open for all attendees this year as COVID-19 protocols was slightly relaxed, with mask-wearing and hand sanitizing still being enforced.
Morning Puja was followed by pushpanjali. Thereafter, prasad boxes were served. The prasad box contained dried fruits, nuts and fresh fruits plus several fresh Indian sweets and namkeens, all donated by some of our BATJ members and friends of BATJ.
His Excellency Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India to Japan along with his wife Madam Gunjan Verma graced the event with their presence. Other dignitaries like Mr. Anurag Goel, Minister (Consular), Embassy of India, Swami Medhashananda and Swami Divyanathananda from the Vedanta Society of Japan were also present. His Excellency Mr. Verma released the Anjali magazine and delivered a short speech. As this was his final year in Tokyo, a small token of appreciation from BATJ was presented to his Excellency by BATJ senior member Mr. Ranjan Dasdeb. After this, a flower bouquet was presented to Madam Verma by Miss Sasha Kar on behalf of BATJ. Mr. Partha Kumar conducted the above program.
After that, lunch was served to everyone, prepared by Priya Restaurant. The lunch menu was- Kichuri, mixveg tarkari, alu bhaja with posto, chatni, papad, aachar and gulab jamun. Those who do not take rice on the day of Sasthi Puja got Luchis in place kichuri. A cultural program followed after lunch and was held live after a gap of two years on stage. The cultural program was coordinated by Mrs. Rita Kar. Swami Divyanathananda inaugurated the program with a devotional song. BATJ members and some members from the Odia community performed. Mrs. Joyita Dutta, Mrs. Sangeetha Krishnamoorty and Mrs. Chandrima Kundu were the Emcees for the program. The day ended with evening Puja and Devi Baran. Sindur Khela by ladies and Bisarjan Dance on stage were performed this year following the pre-COVID-19 traditions. And finally, everyone chanted "aasche bochor, abar hobe". Before returning home, everyone got a dinner packet prepared by Priya Restaurant. The menu was -Fried rice, chili chicken and laddu. Those who do not take rice or chicken got a vegetarian packet with Radhaballavi, alur dom and laddu.
Rabindra Jayanti Celebrated on 15th May, 2022.
Rabindra Jayanti was celebrated in person for the first time after two years, on Sunday, May 15, 2022. This year, we could not invite our Japanese friends to the program due to limited space at the hall. The event was organized in the Isogo Hill Top Mall, Event Hall. This beautiful venue overlooking the city of Yokohama was made possible by the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Prabir and Tuli Patra. All guests first enjoyed bento lunch from Shagun Restaurant in Mizonokuchi.
Lunch was followed by a cultural program to honor Kabi Guru Rabindranath Thakur. Mr. Partha Kumar opened the program with a short welcome speech followed by few words from Swami Divyanathananda who also sang two beautiful renditions of Rabindrasangeet. Performers of all ages payed homage to Kabi Guru while entertaining the audience with their delightful songs, recitations and dances. At the end, Mrs. Rita Kar took the lead in taking the audiences outside the hall for a group dance on the tune of a Rabindrasangeet which everybody enjoyed. The program was very eloquently emceed by Mrs. Jyoita Dutta. Mr. Sanjib Chanda beautifully managed the sound system using his personal equipment that was convenient to operate instead of the one provided by the hall. The closing remarks were given by Mr. Ranjan Gupta. Finally everyone enjoyed snacks and tea before departure.
Click here to see Rabindra Jayanti 2022 photos
Poila Boisakh 1429 Celebrated on 16th April, 2022.
After two years of virtual celebration of Poila Boishak or Bengali New Year‘ s Day, on Saturday, April 16th 2022, this event could be marked in person by BATJ in the form of a community picnic. The picnic was arranged at Kasai Rinkai Park. This was made possible by the leadership and enthusiasm of long time members of the community Mr. Biswanath Pal and Mr. Pranesh Kundu. The Kasai Rinkai Park is the largest park in central Tokyo area, located just across the Edogawa River from Tokyo Disney Resort. It was built on reclaimed land and developed in an effort to restore and preserve natural Tokyo Bay habitat. Seventy two (72) people attended the event this year.
The day started with a morning tea and snacks. The snacks was kindly provided by Mr. & Mrs. Pranesh and Chandrima Kundu. Mrs. Kundu‘ s birthday which coincided with the event was also celebrated with blowing of candle by her and everyone wishing her happy birthday. We were blessed with a beautiful day and plenty of games both for adults and kids was made possible. After this, an impromptu singing program was held amongst members of BATJ. Followed by lunch served in bento boxes, prepared by Delhi Heights Restaurant. After lunch a friendly cricket match was held among the interested members. The event was wrapped in high spirits as members look forward to more such fun gatherings.
Click here to see Poila Boisakh 1429 photos
42nd Saraswati Puja on 6th February, 2022.
Saraswati Puja, was organized by BATJ on Sunday, February 6, 2022. Unlike last year, this year the Puja was held in person. Although due to the resurgence of Covid cases, attendee were kept to a bare minimum. About 35 members of the community and our chief guest H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador, Embassy of India, accompanied by his wife Mrs. Gunjan Verma attended the Puja in person.
Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the puja followed by welcome speech delivered by Mr. Partha Kumar on behalf of BATJ. Mr. Verma delivered a short speech in which he underlined the significance of Goddess Saraswati in Indian culture and also in Japan, where She is worshipped in the form of Benjaiten. The puja was shown on Zoom. Many members who could not come to the hall, attended the puja and Anjali from home on zoom. H.E. Mr. Verma`s speech was also shown on zoom for members attending remotely.
A bouquet of flowers was presented to H.E. Mr. Verma and his wife Mrs. Verma by Mrs. Arpana Karmokar on behalf of BATJ to welcome them and as a token on our appreciation.
A dry prasad packet was arranged for all attending members and their families. This was mostly done with the generous donations from BATJ members.
Cultural program which usually follows after the puja was held online the day before on Saturday, February 5th, 2022. This also happened to be the day of Saraswati puja celebrations in India. Mr. Sanjib Chanda and Mrs. Meeta Chanda hosted the cultural program on Zoom. The program started with a short speech by Swami Divyanathanandaji from RK Mission, Zushi (Vedanta Kyokai), on the relevance of Saraswati puja and learning in both academics and art forms. This was followed by a song by Swamiji. BATJ members young and old enjoyed participating and sharing their various talents online. After the cultural program there was a fun Antakshari competition in which many prizes were also given out to the winners. All in all the Saraswati Puja this year with the Goddess`s blessing could be performed successfully in spite of the very challenging circumstances.
32nd Durga Puja on 9th October, 2021
This year Durga Puja was held at the PIO Hall in Ota- Ku, Tokyo on October 9, Saturday. This was our 32nd Durga Puja
in Tokyo. The occasion was commemorated by releasing the 26th edition of Anjali BATJ`s cultural magazine.
Anirvan Mukherjee performed the puja, and it was attended by about hundred fifty enthusiastic devotees and guests.
Attendance had to be kept at very limited numbers, to allow for social distancing as per rule of the hall. We regret to have been unable to
welcome some of our longtime friends and sponsors of the event.
Morning Puja was followed by pushpanjali. Thereafter, a prasad was served. The prasad box contained dried fruits,
nuts and fresh fruits plus several fresh Indian sweets and namkeens, all donated by some of our BATJ members.
Mr. Mayank Joshi, Charges D'affaires, Embassy of India in Tokyo, Japan along with his wife Mrs. Isha Joshi graced
the Puja. Other dignitaries who were also present from the Embassy of India are Prof. Siddharth Singh, Director VCC,
Mr. Sanjeev Manchanda, Second Secretary (Culture) and Mr. Ravindra Kumar Verma,
Counsellor (Railway Adviser). Mr. Mayank Joshi released the Anjali magazine and delivered a short speech
after which a flower bouquet was presented to him and his wife by Tuli Patra on behalf of BATJ.
Partha Kumar conducted the above program.
After that, lunch box was served to everyone, prepared by Priya Restaurant. The lunch menu was- Kichuri,
bandhakopir tarkari, paneer curry, chatni, aachar and gulab jamun.
A pre-recorded cultural program followed after lunch and was shown on a 200-inch screen to reduce person-to-person
contact on stage. Swami Medhasananda addressed the audience live and everyone enjoyed a pre-recorded song by
Swami Divyanathananda of Zushi Vedanta Society. Sangeetha Krishnamoorthy and Joyita Dutta were the Emcees for the
program. Sanjib Chanda coordinated the entire arrangement.
Please see attached for the details of the program.
The day ended with the evening Puja and Devi Baran.
Sindur Khela by ladies and Bisarjan Dance on stage could not be performed this year under Covid-19 situation.
And finally, everyone chanted "aasche bochor, abar hobe". To go snack packets for the evening were prepared
by Moti Akasaka Restaurant.
Rabindra Jayanti on 9th May, 2021
Bengali Association of Tokyo Japan celebrated Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore’s 160th birthday, virtually, on Sunday, May 9th 2021. The program was planned and organized by Syamal and Rita Kar. The virtual platform coordinators were Sanjib and Meeta Chanda. Performers happily participated with the stages within the confines of their respective residences or the outdoors, and entertained the audience with their creative renditions. Please see attached for the details of the program. Lia Kumar was the Emcee for this program. H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India, Tokyo, addressed the audience, he paid his tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and updated everyone on the relief measures that were being taken in Japan and by GOI to mitigate the terribly sad Covid situation in India. Mr. Tom Kawaii, also spoke on the occasion and shared with the audience invaluable photograph of Rabindranath Tagore with Mr. Kawaii’s grandfather and artist Mr. Kampo Araii. Swami Medhasanandaji Maharaj also addressed the audience from the Vedanta Society premises in Zushi, and spoke on the relevance of some of Rabindranath's writings, in the current pandemic situation. The opening and closing remarks for the program were delivered by Mrs. Rita Kar.
Rabindra Jayanti 2021 photos41st Saraswati Puja on 20th February, 2021.
Saraswati Puja (oldest community Saraswati Puja held in Tokyo since 1981) was organized by BATJ on Saturday, February 20, 2021. For the first time in the 41 years that the Puja has been organized in Tokyo, this year it was done online, due to the Covid related Emergency. Long time Tokyo resident and senior member of BATJ, Mr. Biswanath Paul hosted the Puja at his residence. The Puja was performed by Mr. Anirvan Mukerjee and broadcast online to members of our community. 50 families had joined online puja this year. The chief guest was H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador, Embassy of India, Tokyo. Mr. Verma was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Gunjan Verma.
Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhyay opened the festivities with an introduction followed by welcome speech delivered by Mr. Ranjan Gupta on behalf of BATJ. Mr. Verma also delivered a short speech in which he underlined the significance of Goddess Saraswati in our culture and here inJapan, where she is worshipped as Benzaitensama . Other dignitaries who attended the event included Prof. Siddhartha Singh from Embassy of India with his wife, Mr. Ravindra Verma from the Embassy of India with his wife, Swami Medhasananda & Swami Divyanathananda from RK Mission, Zushi (Vedanta Kyokai). Next, Mr. Sanjib Chanda and Mrs. Mita Chanda conducted an online short program by the youngsters of BATJ, so all attending could watch the talented kids recite, dance and play the piano, saxophone, flute, drum, mallet and koto. Mrs. Lia Kumar gave final remakrs and thanks to everyone for participanting in the program.
A dry prasad packet was sent by post to each participating member‘ s home. Every participating BATJ member also received a packet of Shanti tea kindly donated by Mr. & Mrs. Chandrani. Although this was an unique situation under which the festivities was held, we are grateful to each and every member of our community for making this a pleasant and memorable day for all.
31st Durga Puja on 24th October, 2020
This year we celebrated the 31st year of Durga Puja in Tokyo (oldest community Durga Puja organized in Tokyo since 1990), along with the publication
of Anjali (25th edition) in digital format. Puja was held at the Main hall of Karasuyama Community Center in Setagaya ward, Tokyo. Anirvan Mukherjee
performed the puja, with guidance from Sudeb Chattopadhyay, and it was attended by only hundred fifty-five enthusiastic devotees and guests. With
social distancing, masks to be worn through the event and sanitizing, the organizers took extreme care to ensure Durga Puja could be celebrated as
safely as possible in these unusual times. Attendance had to be kept at very limited numbers, to allow for social distancing. We regret to have
been unable to welcome some of our longtime friends and sponsors of the event on the day.
After the morning puja, everyone gave Pushpanjali maintaining social distancing norms. Thereafter, a prasad box was given to everyone with a choice
to eat in a sepearate room or to take it away at home. The prasad box contained dried fruits and nuts plus several fresh Indian sweets and namkeens,
all donated by some of our BATJ members.
The Ambassador of India in Tokyo, His Excellency Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma could not attend the program due to a last minute schedule conflict. Mr.
Anurag Goel, Minister (Consular) graced the event representing His Excellency. Ms. Mona K C Khandhar, Minister (Economic & Commerce), Dr. Usha Dixit,
Counsellor (S & T) and Dr. Siddharth Singh, Director (VCC) from the Embassy also attended with their families. Mr. Goel released the Anjali magazine
and delivered a short speech after which a flower bouquet was presented to him and his wife by Moitrayee Mazumder on behalf of BATJ. Partha Kumar
conducted the above on stage program.
After that, lunch box was served to everone in another room keeping the continuous sanitizing and social distancing norms, the lunch box was prepared
by Priya Restaurant. The lunch menu was- Kichuri, bandhakopir tarkari, alu matar paneer curry, chatni, aachar and gulab jamun.
This year, a short cultural program was arranged which started with a live speech by Swami Medhasananda and followed by a pre-recorded song by
Swami Divyanathananda of Zushi Vedanta Society. After that a few prerecorded songs and dances were presented by BATJ members. Covid -19 situation
in Tokyo rendered live performances unsafe. Sanjib Chanda and Partha Kumar coordinated the entire arrangement. The day ended with the evening Puja
and Devi Baran. Sindur Khela by ladies and Bisarjan Dance on stage could not performed this year under Covid-19 situation. And finally, everyone
chanted "aasche bochor abar hobe" and left the hall with a snacks packet prepared by Moti Akasaka Restaurant.
Madhur Mialp on 17th May, 2020
The Madhur Milap virtual musical event, held on Sunday, May 17, was organized by BATJ at the initiative of Madam Gunjan Verma, wife of Ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma, Embassy of India in Tokyo. Ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma and Madam Gunjan Verma graced the occasion, participating from their residence. Many Embassy officials and dignitaries from the Indian community and Mr. Yogendra Puranik, City Counsellor of Edogawa Ward also participated in the event, some of whom shared with the virtual audience messages of hope, happiness, and inspiration, to stay optimistic in these difficult and distressing times. The participating performers entertained the audience with recitations and songs that rekindled nostalgic and colorful memories. The whole event was meticulously planned in a very short time by Syamal Kar and Rita Kar, in close collaboration with Sanjib and Meeta Chanda. Sanjib conducted the virtual meeting as the host, and many BATJ members, notably, Lia Kumar, Sangeeta Krishnamoorthy, Sanjib and Meeta Chanda, and Sayantani Dasgupta took part in introducing the performers. Rita Kar delivered the opening remarks, after which Sudeb Chattopadhyay welcomed Ambassador Verma and Madam Verma on behalf of BATJ and requested Ambassador to address the audience. Partha Kumar gave the final remarks at the end of the program and gave thanks to everyone for their presence. The details of the program can be found at this link. Our official photographers that day were Ashoke Karmakar and Prabir Patra.
Rabindra Jayanti on 5th May, 2020
Rabindra jayanti (virtual) was organized by BATJ on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 to commemorate the 159th birth anniversary of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. The function was held virtually over the internet. As usual, the whole program was planned and organized by Syamal and Rita Kar, for which the virtual part was managed aptly by Sanjib and Meeta Chanda. Sanjib was the moderator for this online program, and conducted the program flawlessly in close collaboration with the performers (in Japan and abroad) and limited participants as audience. Despite the gloomy pandemic situation, performers happily prepared the stages within the confines of their respective residences, and entertained the audience with their creative renditions. Please see attached for the details of the program. H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India, Tokyo, addressed the audience from his desk in the Embassy, and also updated the audience on the ongoing GOI efforts to help Indians facing difficulties due to the current COVID situation in Japan. Swami Medhasanandaji Maharaj also addressed the audience from the Vedanta Society premises in Zushi, and spoke on the relevance of some of Rabindranath's writings, in the current pandemic situation. The opening and closing remarks for the program were delivered by Partha Kumar.
Rabindra Jayanti 2020 photosSaraswati Puja on 2nd February, 2020.
Saraswati Puja (oldest community
Saraswati Puja held in Tokyo since 1981) was organized by BATJ on 2nd
February, 2020 at the Minemachi Bunka Kaikan (Ota-Ku) 3rd Floor Hall in Tokyo. This was the
40th year for BATJ celebrating Saraswati Puja in Tokyo. Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali. This year,
one tiny tot had
Hate Khori after the Puja. The chief guest was H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador,
Embassy of India, Tokyo. Mr. Verma was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Gunjan
Verma and an welcome speech was delivered by Mr. Ranjan Gupta on behalf of BATJ.
Mr. Verma also delivered a short speech and after that a flower bouquet was
presented to Mrs. Verma by Mrs. Lia Kumar on behalf of BATJ. Other dignitaries
who attended the event included Prof. Siddhartha Singh from Embassy of India with his wife, Mr. Lungtok, Representative of HH Dalai Lama in Tokyo and, Swami Medhasananda & Aniravan-Mahraj from RK Mission, Zushi (Vedanta Kyokai). Next, a short history of
the 40 years of celebrating Saraswati Puja was presented by Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhyay,
who have performed the puja sicne 1981 (except for three years for bereavement
in the family). Ambassador's welcoming event and the history presentation was conducted by Mr. Partha Kumar. After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya
Restaurant- our annual talent show was held. Mr. Biswanath Paul and Mrs Rita Kar
conducted the program.
Teenagers and adults put up a
wonderful performance. After
the cultural program, the game of BINGO was organized. Mr Jogendra Puranik, Councillor of Edogawa Ward, attended the evening arati and delivered a short speech.
After Arati, snacks catered by Moti
Restaurant was served in the evening. As always, it was a very enjoyable day for
all, especially for the kids with a day of only play and no studies.
Durga Puja on 6th October, 2019.
This year we
celebrated our 30th year of Durga Puja in Tokyo (oldest community Durga Puja
organized in Tokyo since 1990), along with the publication of Anjali (24th
edition). Puja was held
at the Main exhibition hall of Ota Sangyo Plaza (PiO) facility in Ota ward, Tokyo.
Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the puja, assisted by Anirvan Mukherjee, and it was attended by well over
three hundred people.
The Ambassador of India in Tokyo, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Consul
General of Japan in Kolkata, Mr. Masayuki Taga, and Councilor of Edogawa City in
Tokyo, Mr Yogendra Puranik, and other
dignitaries graced the occasion with their presence. The Ambassador released the Anjali
magazine and delivered a short speech after which a flower bouquet was presented
to him by Sasha Kar on behalf of BATJ. Mr Masayuki Taga and Mr. Yogendra Puranik
also delivered short speeches.
This year's cultural program
started with Durga Vandana, followed by Cultural fusion dance, and Festivals of India
and Japan which included dance and songs signifying various festivals
of India performed by BATJ members young and old as well as Natyanjali Online
group members, the Mayukhas, Nihon Kairali group members, and members of the
Japan dance school of Noriko Kuroe and Chisato Miura. The last part of the
program was a Bengali comedy titled "Aschorjo Indian."
The day ended with Devi Baran,
Sindur khela and dancing to the beats of the dhak and finally dinner. Both lunch and dinner was served by Priya Restaurant.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2019 photos
Rabindra Jayanti on 18th May, 2019
Rabindra jayanti was organized by BATJ on Saturday, May 18, 2019 to commemorate the 158th birth anniversary of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. The function was held at the Ikegami Kaikan, Ota-ku, Tokyo. Our event was also supported by "Tagore 150 Japan." The program started with a recitation by Ms. Purnima Ghosh, followed by a song by Ms. Yuka Okuda, and a group dance choreographed by Ms. Sukrishna Ishii. H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India, Tokyo, delivered the opening speech and after that he was presented a flower bouquet by child member Advika on behalf of BATJ. This was followed by chorus songs by BATJ members with Mr. Masanori Hisamoto on Tabla. We then had two guest speakers who spoke on the relevance of the celebrations in light of Kobiguru�s connections with and reflections on Japan. The speakers were H.E. Mr. Masayuki Taga, Consul General of Japan in Kolkata, and Mr. Shinji Tajima, writer and educationist. Ms. Tomoko Kambe, who had previously organized such events for a long period in Japan, sang two songs in Japanese, her own translation of Tagore compositions. BATJ members then sang the chorus "Dhanilo re" of Tagore's puja genre. This was followed by recitation of two Tagore poems in English by by Ms. Gunjan Verma, wife of our Ambassador Mr. Verma. We then enjoyed a dance performance by Ms. Sukrishna Ishii and her group, which was followed by Tagore songs in Hindi by Ms. Rashmi Gupta and BATJ members. This was followed by songs by Ms. Yuka Okuda and her students. Sneha Kundu, a young BATJ member then delighted us by reciting a poem in English. The last part of the program was the dance drama "Abhisaar" performed by BATJ members, young and old. This rendering was befitting to the occasion of auspicious Buddha Purnima, Lord Buddha's birthday, that marked the day. The master of ceremonies were Ms. Keiko Chattopadhyay and Mr. Anirvan Mukherjee. The whole program was coordinated by Ms. Rita Kar. It was the second time that BATJ had organized Rabindra Jayanti at such a grand scale, and by all standards it was a pleasure for both the audience and BATJ participants. In all, about 200 guests and BATJ participants attended the event. We thank all our friends for their participation and look forward to their presence in the future as we hope to organize such events in the future with valuable support from our Japanese friends
.
Poila Boisakh 1426 Celebrated on 14th April, 2019.
Founded
in 940 by the great monk Kancho-Shigo, Naritasan Shinshoji temple is the head
temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. More than 2 million visitors come to
pray at Narita san during the first three days of the Japanese New Year. Keeping
in tune with this Japanese tradition, BATJ organized a trip this year to Narita
san for celebration of our Bengali New Year (1426 Poila Boisakh). We were sixty
(60) people in our group this year.
The temple authorities made arrangement for us to be seated and offer prayers during their special Goma (homa)
ritual. After this, a lunch was hosted for us at the temple's banquet room by
Mrs. Hashimoto, wife of the senior most priest of the temple. A senior member of
the temple gave welcoming speech and toast with sake was raised (very
traditional way of welcoming the new year by the Japanese with rice wine)
wishing everyone good health and happiness in the New Year. We were served with
a very special Japanese vegetarian temple lunch and everybody enjoyed the food.
Also a very special event called 'drum festival or the taiko matsuri' was taking
place at the temple precincts that day. It is one of the largest festivals in
the region held once a year.
Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Emiko Kothari and Mrs. Hashimoto for making all the arrangements and we all had
a memorable day together.
Click here to see Poila Boisakh 1426 photos
Saraswati Puja on 9th February, 2019.
Saraswati Puja (oldest community
Saraswati Puja held in Tokyo since 1981) was organized by BATJ
on 9th February, 2019 at the Otakuminplaza Basement Hall in Tokyo. This was the
39th year for BATJ celebrating Saraswati Puja in Tokyo. Mr. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali. This year,
one tiny tot had
Hate Khori after the Puja. The chief guest was H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador,
Embassy of India, Tokyo. Mr. Verma was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Gunjan
Verma and an welcome speech was delivered by Mr. Ranjan Gupta on behalf of BATJ.
Mr. Verma also delivered a short speech and after that a flower bouquet was
presented to Mrs. Verma by Mrs. Rita Kar on behalf of BATJ. He was also presented with
a copy of our annual Anjali magazine published in 2018 by Mrs. Keiko
Chattopadhyay. Ambassador's welcoming event was conducted by Mr. Partha Kumar. After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya
Restaurant- our annual talent show was held. Teenagers and adults put up a
wonderful performance. Afterwards, we had Antakshari in which there were 22 participants in
11 pairs (husband and wife pairs included) followed by a short quiz session
conducted by Swami Medhasananda Maharaj. After Arati, snacks catered by Moti
Restaurant was served in the evening. Although it was a day with forecast for
heavy snow, the weather could not dampen our spirits. As always, it was a very enjoyable day for
all, especially for the kids with a day of only play and no studies.
Durga Puja on 21st October, 2018.
This year we
celebrated our 29th year of Durga Puja in Tokyo (oldest community Durga Puja
organized in Tokyo since 1990) , along with the publication of Anjali. Puja was held
at the Main hall of Ota Kumin Plaza facility in Ota ward, Tokyo. Anirban
Mukherjee performed the puja, and it was attended by well over
three hundred people.
The Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy in Tokyo, Mr.
Raj Kumar Srivastava, and other
dignitaries graced the occasion with their presence. The DCM released the Anjali magazine and delivered a short speech after which a flower bouquet was
presented to the DCM by Mrs. Rita Kar on behalf of BATJ.
This year's cultural program
started with Durga Vandana, followed by Sax Jazz by Nishant Chanda and his
friends, Folk Beats of India which included dance and songs from various states
of India performed by BATJ members young and old as well as Natyanjali Online
group members, Odissi Performance by Kazuko Yasunobu and members of Studio
Odissi, and
Japanese and English pops by Reimi Dasdeb and group.
The day ended with Devi Baran,
Sindur khela and dancing to the beats of the dhak and finally dinner followed by adda
as usual. Both lunch and dinner was served by Priya Restaurant.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2018 photos
Swami Vivekananda 's 155th Birth Anniversary Celebration on 19th May, 2018
Click here to see Swami Vivekananda 's 155th Birth Anniversary celebration photos
Rabindra Jayanti on 12th May, 2018
Rabindra jayanti was organized by BATJ on Saturday, May 12, 2018 to commemorate the 157th birth anniversary of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. The function was held at the Ikegami Kaikan, Ota-ku, Tokyo. The program started with welcome address from Mr. Ranjan Gupta on behalf of BATJ, which was then followed by the chorus of �Hey nuton..� sung by our local talents, and a group dance choreographed by Ms. Subha Kokubo Chakraborty and performed by our local talents young and old. We then had three guest speakers who spoke on the relevance of the celebrations in light of Kobiguru�s connections with and reflections on Japan. The speakers were Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi, Counsellor, Embassy of India, Tokyo, Swami Medhasananda, President, Nippon Vedanta Kyokai, and Mr. Tom Kawai, Secretary General of Kampo-Tagore Association, and President of Tagore 150 Japan. Our Japanese friends then delighted us with songs, recitation, and dance. Ms. Yuka Okuda led the songs and recitation, and the dance was choreographed and led by Ms. Sukrishna Ishii. Ms. Tomoko Kambe, who had previously organized such events for a long period in Japan, sang two songs in Japanese, her own translation of Tagore compositions. The renderings of our Japanese friends captivated the audience. We then enjoyed Tagore songs sung in Hindi by Ms. Sayantani Dasgupta, Ms. Sutapa Bhattacharya, Ms. Meeta Chanda, and Ms. Rashmi Gupta. This was followed by two patriotic songs delivered by Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi and Ms. Manjistha Roy. Mr. Ranjan Das then delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of BATJ. The final part of the program was Rituranga � ode to the seasons. Here, the recitation was delivered by Ms. Ajanta Gupta, Mr. Ranjan Gupta, Mr. Biswanath Paul, and Ms. Purnima Ghosh, with songs by Mr. Samudra Datta Gupta, Sayantani Dasgupta, and Manjistha Roy. On accompaniment we had Ms. Yuka Okuda on Tanpura and Mr. Masanori Hisamoto on Tabla. Dance was performed by Ms. Subha Kokubo Chakraborty and her students, Ms. Sumana Kar, Ms. Arpana Mitra, Ms. Sudipta Bhawal and the dance group led by Ms. Emi Mayuri. The master of ceremonies were Ms. Keiko Chattopadhyay and Mr. Brajeshwar Banerjee. The whole program was coordinated by Ms. Rita Kar. It was the first time that BATJ had organized Rabindra Jayanti at such a grand scale, and by all standards it was a pleasure for both the audience and BATJ participants. In all, about 300 guests and BATJ participants attended the event. We thank all our friends for their participation and look forward to their presence in the future as we hope to organize such events in the future with valuable support from our Japanese friends
.
Saraswati Puja on 21st January, 2018.
Saraswati Puja (oldest community
Saraswati Puja organized in Tokyo since 1981) was organized by BATJ
on 21st January, 2018 at the Otakuminplaza Basement Hall in Tokyo. This was the
38th year for BATJ celebrating Saraswati Puja in Tokyo. Anirban Mukherjee performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali.
This year, two tiny tots had their
Hate Khori after the Puja. The Ambassador of India was represented by Mr. Avnish Sharma, Minister
(Consular). Mr. Sharma delivered a short speech after which a flower bouquet was
presented to him by Mrs. Keiko Chattopadhyay on behalf of BATJ. After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya Restaurant- our annual
talent show was held. Teenagers and adults put up a wonderful performance. A
dance recital by Subha Kokubo Chakraborty capped the events. Instead of the
usual Bingo at the end we had Antakshari in which there were 12 participants in
6 pairs (husband and wife pairs included). After Arati, snacks catered by Moti
Restaurant was served in the evening. As always, it was a very enjoyable day for
all, especially for the kids with a day of funfilled
activities and no studies, of
course.
Durga Puja on 30th September, 2017.
This year we
celebrated our 28th year of Durga Puja in Tokyo (oldest community Durga Puja
organized in Tokyo since 1990) , along with the publication of Anjali on the theme of "60th
anniversary of Cultural Collaboration Agreement between Japan and India."
2017 is being celebrated by Govt. of
Japan and Govt. of India as the "Year of Japan India Friendly Exchanges".
Embassy of India, Tokyo designated BATJ Durga Puja as part of the exchanges and
allowed us to use the official logo in our Anjali Magazine.
Puja was held at the multi-purpose hall of Otabunkanomori facility in Ota ward, Tokyo. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the puja, and it was attended by well over three hundred people. The Ambassador of India His Excellency Mr. Sujan Chinoy, and other dignitaries graced the occasion with their presence. The Ambassador released the Anajli magazine and delivered a short speech after which a flower bouquet was presented to the Ambassador by Mrs. Rita Kar on behalf of BATJ. The highlight of this year's cultural program was traditional dance and music from Ladakh, performed by members of Northern Arts and Cultural Society of India. We also had the opportunity to enjoy music performed by Bangla Band (comprising local fathers), and a dance and music tribute to Salil chowdhury, with dance performed by our young and old talents accompanied by songs by the ladies. We also enjoyed Rabidrasangeet from Manjistha Roy, and instrumental music interlude, capped with Japanese and English pops by budding talents from our community. The day ended with Devi Baran, Sindur khela and dancing to the beats of the dhak and finally dinner followed by adda as usual. Both lunch and dinner was served by Priya Restaurant.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2017 photos
Saraswati Puja on 5th February, 2017.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ
on the 5th of February, 2017 at the Otabunkanomori Hall in Tokyo. This was the
37th year for BATJ celebrating Saraswati Puja in Tokyo. Sudeb
Chattopadhyay performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali.
This year the Ambassador of India was represented by Mr. Avnish Sharma, Minister
(Consular). Mr. Ryuko Hira, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry was
also present. After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya
Restaurant- our annual talent show was held. Teenagers and adults
put up a wonderful performance. This year a new attraction of the cultural
program was a lively performance of Rajasthani folk dance by a Japanese group
(Leader, Ms. Coco Ayumi). The audience was captivated by the rhythmic
performance presented in colorful costumes. Snacks catered by Moti Restaurant was served
in the evening. As always, it was a very enjoyable day for all, especially for
the kids with a day off from studies with special permission from the Goddess of
Learning.
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2017 photos
Durga Puja on 8th October, 2016.
This year we
celebrated our 27th year of Durga Puja in Tokyo, along with the publication of Anjali on the theme of "Rabindranath
Tagore's maiden visit to Japan", commemorating the 100th year of the
Nobel laureate's first visit to Japan in 1916. Puja was held
at the multi-purpose hall of Otabunkanomori facility in Ota ward, Tokyo. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the puja, and it was attended by well over
three hundred people. The Ambassador of India His Excellency Mr. Sujan Chinoy, and other
dignitaries graced the occasion with their presence. The Ambassador released the
Anajli magazine and delivered a short speech after which a flower bouquet was
presented to the Ambassador by Mrs. Manjulika Hanari on behalf of BATJ. The highlight of this year's cultural program was
Songs rendered by renowned Rabindrasangeet exponent Mrs. Pramita Mallik, with Mr. Masanori Hisamoto
on the tabla, and
accompanied by dance by Ms. Shubha Kokubo Chakraborty. We also had the
opportunity to enjoy a dhunuchi dance performed by the fathers and sons
from our community, in addition to dance rendered by our local budding talents,
instrumental duet on Japanese koto and keyboard, solos on saxophone, and
devotional songs performed by our adult members. The day ended with Devi Baran,
Sindur khela and dancing to the beats of the dhak and finally dinner followed by
some relaxing adda. Both lunch and dinner was served by Priya Restaurant.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2016 photos
Poila Boisakh 1423 Celebrated on 16th April, 2016.
This year also BATJ bengali new year celebration took place in the form of a bus trip. This time we visited the famous city of Chichibu in nearby Saitama prefecture. It was just two days after the actual noboborsho and we all enjoyed the occasion very much. About 50 people from 22 families participated in this day-long trip. We visited three places of interest in the city, Shibazakura Park, Imamiya Shrine, and Meisen (Silk) Museum. The bus picked up the members from two stops, one at Yokohama at 7:00 AM and another near Tokyo station at 8:00 AM. There was no guide this time but in the bus the members had a good round of adda punctuated with melodious songs from our members young and old as we moved from one destination to the next. After reaching the scenic Shibazakura park (Hitsujiyamakoen), the members freely walked around for an hour enjoying the riot of colors in shibazakura (moss phlox) covering the gentle slope of the hill inside the park. Then we had lunch at Traghetto, an Italian restaurant in Chichibu city. Here we had a decent meal of salad, spaghetti and pizza. After lunch we went to the Meisen museum, where the museum guide explained in Japanese the history and significance of the unique way of creating Meisen silk designs. Next we went to the Imamiya shrine which is a shinto shrine dedicated to the worship of the Izanagi/Izanami (the gods who created Japan), Susanou, Hachidai-Ryuo (Eighth Dragon Kings) and Benzaiten (Saraswati). The head priest explained the history of the shrine in English along with a concise brochure he prepared specially for us. It was a good opportunity to learn how closely Shintoism is related to worship of Mother Nature. On our way back we spent the time listening to delightful songs from participants, young and old, capping a memorable day.
Click here to see Poila Boisakh 1423 photos
Saraswati Puja on 13th February, 2016.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ
on the 13th of February, 2016 at the Otabunkanomori Hall in Tokyo. This was the
36th year for BATJ celebrating Saraswati Puja in Tokyo. Sudeb
Chattopadhyay performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali.
This year the Ambassador of India H.E. Mr. Sujan R. Chinoy graced the
occasion. He gave a splendid speech highlighting Hindu traditions and explaining
the similarities with Japanese ones. The speech was uploaded to YouTube by the
Indian Embassy in Tokyo (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC7TIalobng ). After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya
Restaurant- our annual talent show was held. Toddlers to teenagers and adults
put up a wonderful performance. This year also Bingo was organized after
the cultural program. Snacks catered by Moti Restaurant was served and it was time to wind up after a very enjoyable day.
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2016 photos
Durga Puja on 17th October, 2015.
This year we
celebrated our 26th year of Durga Puja in Tokyo, along with the publication of
Anjali on the theme of "Peace", commemorating the 70th year of Japan's peaceful
contribution to the world after the end of the Second World War. Puja was held
at the multi-purpose hall of Otabunkanomori facility in Ota ward, Tokyo. This
year Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the puja, and it was attended by well over
three hundred people. The Ambassador of India Her Excellency Ms. Deepa Gopalan
Wadhwa, Ambassador of Nepal His Excellency Mr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai and other
dignitaries graced the occasion with their presence. BATJ presented the outgoing
Ambassador of India with "Tanter Sari and Kantha Swal" farewell gift as a token of gratitude
for all her warm and generous support of our cultural activities throughout her
tenure in Tokyo. This year's cultural program was an eclectic mix of Indian
classical music, Indian classical and Japanese folk dance, a comedy drama based
on the Ramayana, along with entertaining song and dance renderings by our local
talents, young and old. Ms. Baby Karmakar, First Secretary of Bangladesh Embassy
performed some beautiful religious songs. Pandit Ravindranath Vempati, Yoga teacher from the
Indian Embassy, entertained us with his melodious flute. The dance program
�Nrityanjali� was performed by an international mix of talents under the
direction of Ms. Shubha Kokubo Chakraborty. The day ended with Devi Baran,
Sindur khela and dancing to the beats of the dhak and finally dinner followed by
some relaxing adda. Both lunch and dinner was served by Priya Restaurant.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2015 photos
Poila Boisakh 1422 Celebrated on 30th May, 2015.
This year BATJ bengali new year celebration took place in the form of a bus trip to the famous historic city of Takasaki in nearby Gunma prefecture. It was late in May, but we all enjoyed the occasion very much. About 50 people from 20 families participated in this day-long trip. We visited two places of interest around Takasaki city, Haruna Shrine, and Takasaki Daruma Temple. Our tour operator was Vaishali Travels of Tokyo. The owner, Mr. Manmohan (Rampi) Sahni accompanied us as guide. His witty narration about the places of interest around Takasaki city punctuated with melodious songs in Hindi & Japanese made sure that all the participants enjoyed the trip to its fullest extent. He was ably assisted by Mr. Bhuwan Tewari in this regard. The bus trip started at 8:00 AM from a place near Meguro station. Thanks to Mr. Byomkesh Panda, owner of Priya restaurant, complimentary breakfast bento was served in the bus. After reaching the historic Haruna shrine, we were shown around by a volunteer Japanese guide, accompanied by translation into English by Rampi-san. Then we had lunch at Sapkota, a Nepali restaurant in Takasaki city. Here we also had the pleasant surprise of delicious cake served to celebrate Amartya's (son of Anirban & Shrabani) birthday. After lunch we went to the Daruma temple, where the head priest explained in Japanese the history and significance of the unique Japanese custom of using Daruma dolls to pray for wishes to be fulfilled. It was a pleasure to learn that Daruma was actually a priest of Indian origin. We then went to a place where the Daruma dolls are actually made. The owner of this shop demonstrated how the dolls are painted with delicate brush strokes. Many of the participants bought Daruma dolls as souvenirs at this shop. On our way back we spent the time listening to delightful karaoke songs from participants, young and old, capping a day full of fun and joy.
Click here to see Poila Boisakh 1422 photos
Saraswati Puja on 24th January, 2015.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ on the
24th of Jnauary, 2015 at the Otakumin Plaza Hall in Tokyo. Anirban Mukherjee performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali. After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya Restaurant- our annual talent show was held. Toddlers to teenagers and adults put up a wonderful performance. Next was another big attraction - The Bingo was organized after the program. The Ambassador of Nepal H.E. Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai and his wife graced the occasion and the Ambassador of India was represented by Mr. A. Ramu, Councellor. Snacks catered by Moti Restaurant was served and it was time to wind up after a very enjoyable day.
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2015 photos
Durga Puja on 4th October, 2014.
2014 was a very special year for BATJ as we celebrated our 25th year of Durga
Puja in Tokyo, with a special edition of Anjali and slideshow of Durga Puja in
general with emphasis on our 25 years of celebration in Tokyo. Puja was held at
the auditorium of Ota Kumin Plaza and this year Anirvan Mukherjee performed the
puja. Lunch was donated by Priya Restaurant and was attended by over three
hundred and fifty people. The Ambassador of India Her Excellency Ms. Deepa
Gopalan Wadhwa, Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Amit Kumar, Ambassador of Nepal His
Excellency Mr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai and other dignitaries graced the occasion
with their presence. This year's cultural program was a mix of Indian classical,
modern, Bollywood, Western and Japanese music and dances. The main attraction of
the program was the dance performance by Kalakhshetra - the most renowned
Bhratnatyam dance school from Chennai, India - facilitated by ICCR and Embassy of
India, Tokyo. This was also very exceptional in a way as it was the opening
event of the year long Festival of India in Japan initiated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi during his visit to Japan. The day ended with Devi Baran, Sindur
khela and dancing to the beats of the dhak and finally the dinner.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2014 photos
Saraswati Puja on 1st February, 2014.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ on the 1st of February, 2014 at the Otakumin Plaza Hall in Tokyo. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the Puja. Children and their parents jointly prayed for another year of success to the Goddess of Learning and offered Anjali. After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya Restaurant- our annual talent show was held. Toddlers to teenagers and adults put up a wonderful performance. Next was another big attraction - The Bingo was organized after the program. The Ambassador of Nepal H.E. Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai and his wife graced the occasion and the Ambassador of India was represented by Mr. A. Ramu, Councellor. Snacks catered by Moti Restaurant was served and it was time to wind up after a very enjoyable day.
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2014 photos
Durga Puja on 12th October, 2013.
Durga Puja was held by BATJ
on the 12th of October, 2013 at the Kawasaki Shimin Plaza hall. This
year, a new idol of Durga, sculpted by Amarnath Pal, was brought from Kumartuli,
Kolkata. Swami Medhasanda of Ramkrishna Mission, Japan released the special
issue of our annual magazine �Anjali �Ededicated to Swami Vivekananda�s 150th birth
anniversary. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the Puja and Puspanjali. After
prasad and lunch distribution, we had our cultural program. This year�s theme
was the Rhythms of India, where we had our ladies to the tune of Garba and the
men joining in the vibrant Bhangra. The adults, the teens as well as the
children contributed to the rhythms with singing, dancing and playing music on
the piano as well as the koto. Tokyo Weekenders, a Tokyo based music group
delighted the audience with their beautiful songs and music. Seraikella Chau
dance by Guru Shashadhar Acharya and his troupe from India was our last program.
The day ended with Arti, sindur khela, dance and dinner.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2013 photos
Poila Boisakh 1420 on 20th April, 2013.
Poila Boisakh 1420 was celebrated at the Recreation Center of the Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences. The center has all that needs to make a day memorable - community room with kitchen where the ladies were able to prepare snacks with drinks, tennis courts, plenty of open space for all to enjoy, and certainly we made the most of it. This facility was arranged by Dr. Prabir Patra through his office. After lunch rains forced everyone indoors but the time was well spent with bingo, singing, dancing, tea, and "adda".
Click here to see
Poila Boisakh 1420 photos
Saraswati Puja on 23rd February, 2013.
Saraswati Puja was organized by BATJ on the 23rd of February, 2013 at the
Otakumin Plaza Hall in Tokyo. Sudeb Chattopadhyay performed the Puja followed by
Anjali, and "Hathe Khori". After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya Restaurant-
we had our cultural program, a very entertaining mix of songs, dances,
recitation and piano recitals showcasing the talent of our teenagers to
toddlers. A game of Bingo was organized after the program. Our special guest was
the Ambassador of Nepal H.E. Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai and his wife. He gave a
very entertaining talk about his time in India and particularly in Kolkata. Tea
and snacks catered by Moti Restaurant was served to bring the day to a close
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2013 photos
Durga Puja on 20th October, 2012.
The 23rd Durga Puja in Tokyo was celebrated by the Bengali Association of Tokyo, Japan on the 20th of October, 2012. Ambassador of India, H.E., Mrs. Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa graced the occasion by her presence during cultural program in the evening and addressed the audience. Anirban Mukherjee performed the puja which was followed by Anjali, Prasad and Bhog. Our editorial team had again come up with an impressive publication of �Anjali�E The cultural program, was commendable too. The audience enjoyed �Abak Jalpan�Enbsp;and folk dances by the children as well as the other musical events of the evening. The program ended with a beautiful rendition of Mahisasurmardini by a visiting Chau dance group from Purulia. The day�s festivities ended with Arati, Sindur khela and dinner.
Click here for 2012 Durga Puja Photos.
Poila Boisakh 1419 on 14th April, 2012.
Poila Boisakh 1419 was held at the Ramakrishna Mission in Zushi on April 14,
2012,
Saturday with the kind consent and help from Swami Medhasananda. We all gathered
at noon and Maharaj led us all in prayers and meditation. Together we all
chanted "Asato ma
sadgomayo". This was followed by lunch. After lunch and some adda, we were
directed to the new Annex of the Mission where we watched a video on making of
Belur Math and it was followed by evening tea and snacks. And then, it was
already time for Sandhaya Arati and some devotional songs by members.Dinner
followed, and we were ready to head home after a very nicely spent day at the
Ashram.
Click here to see Poila Boisakh 1419 photos
Saraswati Puja on 4th February, 2012.
Saraswati
Puja was organized by BATJ on the 4th of Feb., 2012, at the OtaBunkanomori hall
in Tokyo. Swami Medhasananda ji of Vedanta Society of Japan performed the puja
& prayers and then guided our tiny tots through their initiation to learning "Hathe
khori" . After prosad and lunch - catered by Priya Restaurant- we had our
cultural program.This year we had a special performance by Mr. Christopher
Blasdel, author, renowned artist and exponent of shakuhachi, the Japanese flute.
It was a wonderful afternoon of music, dance, recitation and also story telling
by the children who performed in the Children's Talent Show. There was a very
entertaining magic show by Mr. D to wind up the program. Tea and snacks catered
by Moti restaurant was served and this brought us to the end of the day.
Click here for 2012 Saraswati Puja Photos.
Durga Puja on 8th October, 2011.
Durga Puja 2011 took place in Tokyo on the 8th of October, at the Ota Bunkanomori Hall. Anjali, our annual magazine was published with a dedication to the Great East Japan earthquake of March 11. Puja was performed by Sudeb Chattopadhyay, followed by Anjali, prosad and bhog. All the rituals of the morning over, it was time for the cultural program. The children put up a fine show with songs, dances and two short plays from Sukumar Roy, Hingshuti and Pagla Dashu. The Tokyo Bangla Band, our very own band, performed really well and keeping up with them the ladies sang the Japanese song �E/span>Furusato�E/span>, or Hometown, remembering all the people who have lost their homes and unable to return to their hometown due to the earthquake, tsunami and also the nuclear disaster. This was followed by a wonderful composition of dances based on Odissi style by the Japanese dance group, Studio Odissi. The final event of the program was a superb performance by the Baul and Fakirs of Nadia, presented by banglanatok.com, group from India. Evening Arati, sindur khela, dance with dhak music and dinner concluded the day, with the chants of �E/span>Asche bochor abar hobe�E/span> and wishing all a Subho Bijoya.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2011 photos
Saraswati Puja on 12th February, 2011.
Saraswati
Puja was organized by BATJ on the 12th of Feb., 2011, at the Ota
Bunkanomori hall in Tokyo. Sudeb Chattopadhyay conducted the Puja and led
us all in the Anjali and then guided our tiny tots through their "Hathe
khori". After prosad, we had khichuri lunch catered by Priya Restaurant
and soon after that, we had our cultural program. It was a wonderful
afternoon of music, dance, recitation and also story telling by the
children who performed in the Children's Talent Show. An incredible amount
of effort put in by the children. Congratulations to all of them. This was
followed by a remarkable presentation of dances by "Natyamanjari" , a
Japanese Bharatnatyam group, led by Emi Mayuri. They also presented two
dances based on Rabindrasangeet. After evening Puja, it was time to clean
up, have tea and snacks and bid adieu.
Click here for 2011 Saraswati Puja Photos.
Durga Puja on 16th October, 2010.
The 21st Tokyo Durga Puja organized by the Bengali Association of Tokyo, Japan was held on the 16th of October, 2010 at the Ota Bunkanomori hall. Our annual Puja publication �Anjali�E dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore�s 150th Anniversary, was published that day followed by Puja, performed by Sudeb Chattopadhyay, Anjali, Prosad and Bhog.
This year�s cultural program was partially dedicated to Rabindranth Tagore.Yuka Okuda, who had studied music and Rabindrasangeet at Santiniketan rendered some beautiful songs. The children performed Oscar Wilde�s �Selfish Giant�Ein which Rabindranath Tagore�s songs and poems were weaved in to form an enchanting musical. Members of the community presented eternal love songs and contemporary dance and �Park Street�EBangla Band by our very own boys rocked the audience. There was a brilliant performance of Odissi Dance by Tridhara group from India that was led by Guru Gajendra K. Panda, courtesy of the Indian Embassy.
The day ended with evening Arti and sindur khela and dancing, followed by dinner.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2010 photos
Rabindra Jayanti on 25th April, 2010.
BATJ has been organizing their Rabindra Jayanti for the past few years, but the 149th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev was a big success, thanks to the tireless enthusiasm and hard work by some of our members. On April 25th at the Funabori Tower Hall the children presented Tasher Desh, followed by Tagore songs, poems and music performed by members of the community in Bengali, English, Hindi, and Japanese. Rendition of Rabindrasangeet in English by Rex Angeles is worth mentioning. The final program was a remarkable performance by Subha Kokubo of Indian Classical Dance Troupe, Nagoya. The program ended with the presenting of �Uttoriyo� to all invited artists by Swami Medhasananda-ji.
Click here to see Rabindra Jayanti 2010 photos
Saraswati Puja on 30th January, 2010.
Saraswati Puja, this year was celebrated by BATJ on the 30th of January at the Ota Bunka no Mori hall in Tokyo. After the Puja was performed and Puspanjali offered, three tiny tots had their �Hate khori�E�Ewe wish them all success in their future. Lunch, catered by Priya restaurant, was followed by the cultural program. The program started with a piano recital by Keiko Chattopadhyay. This was followed by a Talent show by the children. Next was Antakshari conducted by Soma Choudhuri. We extend our sincere thanks to �Ambika Japan�E �Brastel�E �Priya Restaurant�E and �Spice Magic Calcutta�Efor sponsoring the Antakshari.
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2010 photos
Durga Puja on 2nd and 3rd October, 2009.
The 20th Tokyo Durga Puja organized by the Bengali Association of Tokyo, Japan was held on the 3rd of October, 2009. Early morning rain did not dampen the spirit of the enthusiastic participants who came from in and around Tokyo and also other prefectures. Our annual Puja publication �Anjali�Ewas published that day followed by Puja, performed by Sudeb Chattopadhyay, Anjali, prosad and Bhog. This year�s cultural program included Devi Vandana, a children�s play �Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne�E songs from Bangla Band by our very own boys, Bollywood songs by the ladies and a brilliant performance of Chhau Dance by the Seraikalla Chhau group, courtesy of the Indian Embassy. The day ended with evening Arti and sindur khela and dancing, followed by dinner.
Click here to see Durga Puja 2009 photos
Rabindra Jayanti on 9th May, 2009.
Click here to see Rabindra Jayanti 2009 photos
Saraswati Puja on 31st January, 2009.
Saraswati Puja was celebrated by BATJ in Tokyo on the 31st Jan, 2009 with our community members joining in the invocation of the Goddess of learning led by Sudeb Chattopadhyay. After Anjali was offered, prosad was distributed followed by Lunch. The cultural programme started with songs by Samudra Datta Gupta and Shreyashi Mondol. Next was the children�s turn to show their talent. This year�s guest artist was Mr. Tim Hoffman and his group of Indo-Japan Music Exchange who performed a variety and some experimental music using Japanese instruments and Indian music.
Click here to see Saraswati Puja 2009 photos
For past events before 2009 check here
