KOBE, JAPAN, March 17, 2002: The port city of Kobe, with the largest concentration of Americans and Europeans in the Kansai region, a few of whom have lived in Japan since the Taisho Era (1912-1926), has long been known as one of Japan’s most Westernized cities. But what is little known is that it is also home to a large, perhaps the largest, population of Indians in Japan. A stroll through the streets of Kobe’s Sannomiya or Kitano districts reveals a host of Indian restaurants and Indian-run businesses, from textiles to jewelry. The history of the Indian community in Japan began with the first textile merchants, who followed the British traders in the late 1800s. Most landed at Yokohama, which became the center of the Indian community in the early years of foreign settlement. A few moved to Kobe, where the Indian Club was formed in 1904 by a small community of about 100 businessmen drawn from all over India. Today, Kobe’s Indian community thrives in the import and export of textiles and electronics; the sale of Japanese used cars to the Middle East and Africa; and, more recently, becoming involved in Osaka real estate.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike