The office of the Consulate-General of Japan in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, India, has planned several events from September to October to boost the bilateral relations between India and Japan. The lined-up events will particularly focus on West Bengal. The events include food and cultural festivals and film festivals. The Consulate-General will also organise interaction sessions with students who have pursued their education in Japan. There will also be interaction with employees working with various Japanese enterprises. These initiatives also seek to facilitate exchange programs between Japanese universities and Nippon Bhavana, a centre in the Visva Bharati University, West Bengal, that fosters Indo-Japanese relations.
The lined-up events will take place in September and October as part of the ‘Japan Month’ designated by the Embassy of Japan in India. According to Mr. Nakagawa Koichi, the Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata, the events are meant to strengthen the bonds between Japan and India through West Bengal. He highlighted the historic relations between Japan and West Bengal. He noted that the renowned Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore and political leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Rash Behari Bose have visited Japan. Rabindranath Tagore’s frequent visits to Japan between 1916 and 1929 have been chronicled in his travelogue ‘Japan Jatri’ (Travel to Japan). Netaji sought support from Japanese leaders in May 1943. Finally, Rash Behari Bose spent the last phase of his life in Japan.
West Bengal and Japan also have similar culinary affinities, especially in their taste for fish and rice. Mr. Nakagawa believes such a historic relationship should be enriched further by encouraging bilateral collaboration in various cultural sectors. In a move to appreciate Indian efforts at strengthening the bond, Consul-General Nakagawa presented a “Certificate of Commendation” on behalf of the Japanese Consulate to Dr. Gita A. Keeni. Dr. Gita heads the Department of Japanese at Visva Bharati University, West Bengal. Her entire academic career focuses on a comparative study of culture between India and Japan.
While Dr. Gita’s Master’s dissertation was titled “Concept of Karma and Rebirth in Japan as Elicited in the Nihon Ryōiki”, her PhD topic was “A comparative study of women in Japan and Bengal through the prism of proverbs.” Although she was awarded a PhD degree by the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, her research was majorly conducted at the International Research Centre for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken), Kyoto, as part of the Japan Foundation Doctoral Fellowship. Since then, she has published extensively on Japanese Language and Literature, Socio-Cultural Studies, and Tagore and Japan. She has published in Bengali, English, and Japanese languages.
Nippon Bhavana in Visva Bharati encompasses a vast library with books in Japanese, English, and other languages. With support from the Japanese Foundation, Nippon Bhavana regularly conducts seminars and symposiums to facilitate Indo-Japan academic and cultural relations.
Events in commemoration of ‘Japan Month’ have already commenced in West Bengal. A Japanese film festival is ongoing in a renowned theatre in Kolkata from 25-28 August 2024. Its second phase is from 30 August-1 September 2024. The Japanese Karate Association, South Kolkata, also organised the Kyu Grading Examination on 24 August 2024. The Nihongo Kaiwa Kyookai Society also organised the 26th Nihongo Quiz Contest on 10 August 2024.
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