When Shah Rukh Khan Acquainted Japan To The Culture, Ethos & Colours Of India!

- Planet Bollywood Special Correspondant           Let us know what you think about this story

In its 16th year, 'Namaste India', which was initiated by a Japanese Indophile in 1992, will celebrate the very best of Indian culture, cuisine, entertainment and business environments in the Yoyogi-Koen Park in Tokyo from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. over two days.

The foundation, which began showcasing India through Bollywood 12 years ago, now has a permanent mission in Tokyo and Beijing. “We initially screened movies like 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge', 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman' and other Shah Rukh Khan starrers to acquaint the people of Japan to the cultural diversity, ethos and colours of India. After it grabbed eyeballs, we started promoting Indian culture seriously,” Upadhyay said.The foundation, unlike other India-Japanese official initiatives, sets a theme to promote cultural exchanges, Upadhayay said. As a result, several soft economic segments like tourism and education have benefited.

Citing tourism figures, Upadhayay said while in 1996, only 50,000 visas were issued for Japanese tourists visiting India, by 2002 it shot up to 150,000, three times the number primarily because of the Indian culture road shows.

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