We started in the early 1980s as a small group of Bengalis from India, living in an around Tokyo. Although exchanges between India and Japan are said to have started in the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced in Japan, even in the 1980s there were very few Indians living in Japan as the volume of trade and other exchanges between Japan and India was minuscule compared to other countries. Although only a few in number, we wanted to celebrate our heritage quietly - engaging in activities compatible to Japanese way of doing things. Some Japanese who were our neighbors and had some exposure to India got gradually acquainted with our way of living in carrying on our heritage within the confines of the Japanese social norms. With the help of such individuals many of whom are no more, we slowly embarked on organizing events that we continue even today and share our joy on such occasions with a much larger audience of Indians and Japanese.

The first such event was Saraswati Puja that we started in 1981. Most of the families having school-age children and some of us being students in Universities, it was a natural fit for the small community back then. We started the Durga Puja in 1990, our biggest event these days, which continues to draw big crowds of Indians and Japanese. Since Durga Puja in 1997, we have been publishing the literary journal ‘Anjali’, wherein our local talents young and old as well as our friends abroad share their literary brilliance, making the occasion even more celebratory and joyous. We also actively take part in other activities, such as Bengali New Year celebrations, Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday celebrations and various other India related events organized by the Embassy of India and other India-Japan cultural exchange organizations.

In Japanese, we call our group "Indojin-No-Tsudoi" (インド人の集い), same as our bank account name. True to our humble roots, we remain a close-knit informal group that enjoys celebrating the heritage through simple gatherings whenever our daily busy life in Japan permits. You are always welcome to join us if you want to take part in celebrating the heritage with us, here in Tokyo.

************