BENGALURU: An afternoon of all things Japanese – language, music, food – awaited Japanese-speaking Bengalureans on Sunday. Hosted at the residence of the Consul-General of Japan in Bengaluru, the initiative was to encourage Japanese learners to converse and interact with natives in an open and casual environment. Over Sake (Japanese rice wine), unlimited beer and noodles, participants caught up strictly in Japanese (the requirement to participate was a N3 level in the language), going far beyond saying konnichiwa (hello) to each other.
Popular restaurants, including Edo from ITC Gardenia, Yataii from Shangri-La, 1Q1, and Matsuri from The Chancery Hotel, set up stalls offering authentic Oriental dishes. In addition, the Consul-General’s official chef’s signature dish –the ‘Banga Roll’ (Indianised sushi with the colours of the Karnataka flag) – was served to guests. Post-lunch, a karaoke saw participants singing Japanese songs. Adding colour to the performance was Kazumasa Kuboki, a Japanese national residing in the city, who fluently sang a four-minute Kannada song, inviting cheer from the audience.
Much to the surprise of the participants, French Consul-General Dr Marjorie Vanbaelinghem, who is proficient in Japanese, gave a short welcome speech. Her tryst with the language started quite by chance when, during the end of her doctoral thesis in British art history, she enrolled for a Japanese language programme to get some “fresh air”.
“I took classes every Thursday, and at the end of the year, I visited Japan. Even when I got into service, I was keen to do my induction programme in Tokyo for six months, which I did. Every year, except this one, since I’ve recently moved to the city and am settling down, I visit Japan with my family,” said Vanbaelinghem, who moved to Bengaluru two weeks ago.
In response, Takayuki Kitagawa, the Consul-General of Japan in Bengaluru, welcomed her in Japanese as well as in French. “It’s uncommon to find a French person who is fluent in Japanese,” he said.
While the Asian language has been gaining popularity, with ties being deepened and the spread of Japanese pop culture, Kitagawa added that the programme, in its sixth edition, has evolved from the time it was first held in November 2017 at Chancery Hotel. “It was a formal occasion then, but over time that has changed. Many of the guests want to showcase their talents, while on the other hand, recruiting agencies are also here to attract Indians who are keen to move to Japan,” he said, adding that a forum like this is a “golden opportunity” for those interested in getting associated with Japanese executives.
Siri Bhagavatula, a student who found out about the event through social media and was attending the speaking afternoon for the first time, found the crowd to be a good mix of Japanese and Indian nationals. “It’s a good way to practise the language,” said Bhagavatula, who pursued her under-graduation in physics in Japan, and is now preparing to head to the United States of America.
Rajashree Iyer, business head at Alp Consulting, a recruiting agency, pointed out that engineers are in demand in Japan, and with the country impressed with the technical knowledge of Indians, firms are keen to get them on board. “Companies are in need of engineers and people are keen to go. The bridge is the language. We get a good response through events like these,” she said.