Many Japanese families in Bengaluru try to preserve routines that make life feel stable. Shoes are left neatly at the entrance. Bento-style lunches are packed for school or work. Seasonal customs are observed even when the weather outside does not match the memory of Japan. A spring celebration may happen under a tropical sun. Children may speak Japanese at home, English at school, and pick up bits of Kannada or Hindi from drivers, neighbours,and shopkeepers. Konatsu Hasegawa, a seven-year-old Japanese girl, won huge applause during Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in her school last year when she introduced herself in Kannada. The Japanese presence in Bengaluru has grown with the city’s rise as a technology and manufacturing hub. Engineers, automotive specialists, electronics professionals, business executives, and their families have come with companies that see Bengaluru as a place of innovation and long-term investment. Some stay for a year or two, others for much longer. Over time, what began as a corporate migration became a community with its own habits, support systems, and familiar places. Raising Kids In A Faraway Land Yoshiki Hayashi’s children, Miyu and Sosuke, look forward to attending Japanese classes on weekends at the Japanese Supplementary School (JSS). “We learn the Japanese language at the Hosh jugy k (JSS),” says Miyu. The classes hosted by TRIO World Academy’s Sahakarnagar campus follow a curriculum approved by MEXT (Japan’s ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology) and are overseen by the Japanese consulate. Hayashi believes the initiative is important for families who expect their children to return to Japan and re-enter its school system. Kosuke Kiryu, the chairperson of the management committee of JSS, has two children—Kanato, 14, and Rina, 9. Kiryu and his family are originally from Kagoshima, famous for Sakurajima, an active volcano, and its many relaxing hot springs (onsens). He works as the managing director of Tanita India and moved to Bengaluru two yearsago. Citing his own family’s example, Kiryu says JSS helps Japanese parents and children stay connected to their roots. The campus comes alive on weekends with a variety of sports and cultural events, including traditional drumming sessions and activities that foster a sense of community and belonging. On JSS Sports Day, Miyu, a grade 4 student, along with Hayashi, won a prize in a three-legged race. Hayashi and his children got up early and practised much ahead of the event, at their apartment in Brigade Cosmopolis in Whitefield. “We aligned our bodies and minds, and practised in sync, aiming for victory,” smiles Hayashi, adding it was much more than a race, and carried deeper meanings. Like Miyu and Sosuke, most Japanese children learn their lessons in an active lifestyle from playgrounds at a young age. How Terashima Found His Tribe Community life often gathers around schools, cultural associations, language circles, company networks, WhatsApp groups and informal gatherings. Koken Terashima from Tokyo, who has been in Bengaluru for the last two years, stays in touch with friends via social media. “I also attend Buddhist ceremonies and festivalslike Vesak and temple gatherings,” he says.
Koken Terashima and his family, from Tokyo, actively engage in Japanese community activities
Restaurants are another important part of community life. Bengaluru has, over the years, developed a vibrant Japanese dining scene, from sushi bars in luxury hotels to small restaurants serving ramen, donburi, karaage, curry rice, and teishoku meals. For Japanese residents of the city, these places are not just about authenticity but also about comfort. A bowl of miso soup, grilled fish with rice, or a simple plate of curry can offer relief from homesickness after a long workday. And some like Terashima do not miss their homeland. Water shortages and roads being chock-a-block with vehicles do make Terashima anxious while in Bengaluru, but despite such infrastructural inadequacies, he loves the city. Food, an Anchor of Identity The Japanese expat community in Phoenix One Bengaluru West stays connected through a WhatsApp group. “There are about 110 Japanese nationals in our apartment. They go shopping by taxi, and on alternate days a car brings them Japanese groceries and food; one person has been running this delivery business steadily for around five years,” says N Ramakrishnan, a resident. Japanese residents in Bengaluru often seek out stores that stock imported staples: short-grain rice, miso, soy sauce, mirin, dashi, seaweed, tofu, curry roux, panko, noodles, and green tea. “We shop at local supermarkets where you get fresh produce and international ingredients. We purchase stuff from e-commerce sites like Licious.in and MainDish.in also,” says Kiryu. Wang Tuo makes the nutrient dense miso soup for Hiromichi, her husband who is from Fukui in Japan. Hiromichi eats a rice ball and vegetables for lunch. Some buy local vegetables that resemble familiar produce back home or learn to cook with what is available: Indian spinach in place of Japanese greens, local mushrooms instead of shimeji, river fish or imported seafood depending on budget and access.Hiroki Imoto, a resident of Indiranagar who works with Sunpark, a Japanese restaurant chain, orders groceries online.“E-commerce sites like Blinkit deliver very fast, and I’m really impressed by their service,” he says. Quick delivery exists in Japan too, but it is unreasonably expensive, he says. “For instance, a small bottle of water could cost you Rs 100,” he says.
Hiroki Imoto loves Bengaluru’s weather but says its seasons all look the same unlike Japan
Hiroki finds Indian food tasty but too spicy for his liking. “I ask for zero- spicy food. It still feels too spicy,” he says. His favourite Indian foods include dosa and halwa. He usually eats dosa with a spoon, though he tries eating by hand when with Indian friends. Finding Ikigai Amid Challenges Ikigai is a Japanese philosophical term which means ‘that which makes life worth living’.In simpler terms, it is the reason why you get up in the morning. Japanese people believe that even small joys matter. Together, they lead to a fulfilling life. Haruka Nagahashi, hailing from Nagasaki, says her ikigai is seeing someone take their first sip of matcha, a green tea of Japanese origin, and smile. Founder of Teka, a matcha cafe in Indiranagar, Nagahashi says her journey has been full of discoveries. “What I like most about Bengaluru is the energy and the openness of people.
Bengaluru is a city of possibilities, says Haruka Nagahashi from Nagasaki, founder of Teka, a matcha cafe in Indiranagar
There’s a strong sense of possibility here, and people are very supportive of new ideas.” She does miss Japan sometimes, especially the seasons, the food, and the attention to detail. Meanwhile, she feels at home in Bengaluru, which offers tremendous opportunities or growth— both personally and professionally. Running a café can be demanding, but it’s also deeply fulfilling, she says. Outside of work,she tries to take small moments to rest, reflect, and recharge. Nagahashi brims with a strong sense of purpose and embodies ikigai in many ways. She blends what she loves, what she is good at, what the world needs, and what shecan be paid for skillfully and mindfully, just like how she crafts every cup of matcha. There are challenges, including traffic, infrastructure, and sometimes the unpredictability of daily life. “Compared to Japan, things are less structured in Bengaluru, but that also makes life here more dynamic,” says the 32-year-old. It is a story of routine, adaptation, and quiet continuity. In a city built by migration and reinvention, the Japanese community has made a home not by recreating Japan, but by carrying forward its traditions carefully and embracing the local culture.
