He is known as the father of Little India.
Jagmohan S. Chandrani heads the Edogawa Indian Association. He is widely known in Tokyo’s Indian community for helping Indian expatriates settle in the Nishi-Kasai district of Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward.
In a recent interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Chandrani, 70, recalled his early days in Japan and discussed where he sees society heading.
He said he feels young Japanese people have lost nuance in their thinking. He also regrets their declining interest in overseas travel.
But as a cheerleader for Nishi-Kasai, Chandrani believes the neighborhood is a model for how other districts may look in the future. He said it has the potential to become fully cosmopolitan and explains why that is more valuable than an international community.
Excerpts of the interview follow:
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Question: When did you come to…