Japan as a nation is invested in a culture that elegantly mixes both tradition and modernity. It is rooted in harmony, respect and deep appreciation for nature. Some globally popular Japanese cultural activities include tea ceremonies, traditional attire like kimono dressing, ikebana (flower arrangement) and bonsai, shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) etc. Their daily life is based on a profound sense of community, respect and consideration of others.
Sakuraa Nihongo Resource Centre (SNRC), founded in 2000, is an established Japanese language center at Bengaluru, India. They offer training for Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), Document Translation, Japanese Business Etiquette, Corporate Training, Translation Workshops, Culture Orientation etc.
I was trained for JLPT N5 level at this Centre from January 2025. The 25th anniversary of this Centre was celebrated on 06 June 2025 at The Capitol, Rajbhavan Road, Bengaluru, India. The Consulate General of Japan in Bengaluru, Mr Nakane Tsutomu was the Guest of Honour apart from three Managing Directors as Chief Guests .
As part of Cultural Activity of the celebrations, a skit based on the folktale Kasa Jizō (The Bamboo Hats for Jizō) was staged. It is a heartwarming story that highlights the virtue of kindness and how compassion is generously rewarded. I played the lead role of Ojiisan (old man) in the skit and had to speak the most Japanese dialogues wearing Yukata dress in front of the Consulate General of Japan in Bengaluru and other distinguished Japanese guest and Japanese speaking Indians. The skit was well received and the audience appreciated our efforts in bringing the Japanese culture of kindness and compassion coming to the fore.
Yukata (a type of Kimono), is predominantly a summer casual wear in Japan, that is designed for comfort and breathability because of the fabric used. Tying a Yukata typically takes 10-15 minutes for a beginner or less than two minutes once you are experienced.
Japan Habba (established by Satoshi Hata in 2005 at Bengaluru, India) is an annual cultural event celebrating Japanese heritage through multiple stages with live performances, anime and pop culture.
I volunteered in tying Yukata (after getting trained) to stall visitors while sharing Japanese culture during Japan Habba in January 2025.
Social Con 2026 (inaugural edition) was a two-day pop-culture and youth festival held on April 4–5, 2026, at Gurugram, Haryana, India. The event celebrated anime, comics, gaming, K-pop, and content creation.
While volunteering in tying Yukata to stall visitors, I engaged them with Japanese culture tidbits like tea ceremony, interesting places to visit in Japan etc. during Social Con at Gurugram in April 2026.
SPOGOMI is a sport invented in Japan in 2008 by Mamitsuka Kenichi, under the slogan, “Trash pickup is a sport!”. Teams of multiple people compete by collecting trash within a designated area and time limit. Points are awarded based on the amount and types of trash collected. In the World Cup format, teams consist of three members, with a time limit of one hour, plus an additional 20 minutes for sorting the trash.
India’s participation began in 2023. The sport widened in 2025 with regional rounds held in major cities in India. Winners from Bengaluru and other cities advanced to the National Qualifiers at Marina Beach, Chennai (held on 24 June 2025). It was an intense competition during an unexpected heatwave. Twenty teams from different cities in India still managed to collect 251 kilograms of trash. Though our team did not win the competition, we managed to get rid of nearly 7 kgs of trash and sorted appropriately. We appreciated the deep rooted habit of cleanliness in Japanese culture. The Japanese made it as a sport and spread to other parts of the world.