India's fascination with Japanese culture is experiencing a significant surge, driven by a confluence of factors ranging from anime and cuisine to education and tourism. This cultural wave is reshaping urban lifestyles and fostering deeper bilateral ties between the two nations.
A pivotal moment in this cultural embrace occurred in 2019 when Jaipur teenager Divishth Pancholi initiated a petition to bring Makoto Shinkai’s anime film Weathering With You to Indian cinemas. The campaign garnered over 50,000 signatures, leading to the film's release in India and a visit from Shinkai himself. Pancholi, now an aspiring animator, is set to study at Kyoto University of the Arts, aiming to blend Rajasthan’s traditional phad painting with Japanese animation techniques.
Koji Sato, Director-General of the Japan Foundation in Delhi, describes this shift as transformative. “Twenty years ago, Japanese films had limited exposure in India. Today, there's a nationwide enthusiasm for contemporary Japanese cinema and anime,” he noted.
Streaming platforms like Crunchyroll report India as one of their fastest-growing markets, with users—predominantly under 35—averaging over an hour of daily viewing. This digital engagement is complemented by a burgeoning interest in Japanese language studies, supported by institutions like the Japan Foundation and various universities across India.
Culinary appreciation is also on the rise, with Japanese restaurants proliferating in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Cultural festivals such as Japan Habba in Bengaluru and the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry events in Chennai further cement this cultural integration.
