Indian Diaspora: The Case of Indians in Japan

The arrival of Indians in Japan started more visibly after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, ending the 200 years of self-imposed isolation by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Indians started arriving in Japan for business and commercial activities in the 1870s at the two major open ports of Yokohama and Kobe. More Indians as British colonial subjects entered Japan during World War I when Japanese products were sought to fill gaps in demand that war-torn Europe could not meet. The Anglo-Japanese alliance facilitated this process. Following the great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, most of the Indians in Yokohama relocated to the Kansai region (Osaka-Kobe) and the city hosted the largest migrant Indian population in Japan. Yokohama authorities offered special incentives to the Indian community after World War II to revive their old base in Kanto. The old Indian community in Japan focused on trading in textiles, commodities and electronics. With close linkages to India as well as connections in Hong Kong and Shanghai, they became major players in trading activities across Asia. A newer segment of the community is engaged in gems and jewellery.