Mrs. Nirmal [Part2]
Continuing our interview with Mrs. Nirmal Jain, founder of India International School in Tokyo and Yokohama, we are going to ask about her personal life in Japan and her views on Indian and Japanese culture.
GM:
Now let me ask you something about your life in Japan. So what actually brought you to Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
In my case it was a bit different. My Father in Law came to Japan in 1926. I got married to my husband and came with him in 1969.
GM:
What was your first impression of Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
As if I have come to a village. (Ha-ha). Coming to Tokyo from Delhi was an altogether different experience. There was not a word of English anywhere, the signboards were all in Japanese, no one spoke any English,many houses did not have bathrooms. The houses and architecture were also very different.
But the people here were really helpful and supportive. They were very friendly and took very good care of me.
GM:
What was your impression of Japan before coming here?
Mrs. Jain:
Yeah, I knew that Japanese people are very hardworking, sincere,creative and clean by nature. Actually when I was growing up I had these habits and my parents often used to tease me by saying that they will marry me in Japan, which eventually became true. (Ha-ha)
GM:
So you have lived in Japan for a very long time now. Can you still compare India with Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
Yes I can still compare a little bit. As far as work ethics are concerned, Japanese people are very dedicated. Whereas, the same is not true for India. In India you are not sure till the last moment if your work will get done or not. But things are improving in India also. Earlier when I used to deal with CBSE in India I faced many problems but now I can get most work done easily through email and phone.
GM:
What do you find inconvenient in Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
Language is a big hurdle in my opinion.
GM:
Anything other than language?
Mrs. Jain:
Not really. I think it's a great place for foreigners also. There is safety, security, cleanliness, comfort. All the basic supplies are there.I think it's a very convenient place.
GM:
In your long stay in Japan, do you think that you failed at something or something that you could not achieve because of the cultural or linguistic differences?
Mrs. Jain:
I don't know it applies here or not but I am a lawyer by profession and if Japan did not have any barrier, than I would have been practicing law. But I got satisfaction by working for NHK as a news caster.. But even now, given the opportunity I would like to practice law.
GM:
Any Indian thing or positive aspect of India that you would like to bring to Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
I will tell you a small story here. Mrs Abe (Wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe) came for the opening ceremony of our school and she was surprised to see every student eating home cooked food. She asked me how come every student is eating home cooked food. I explained her that in India a mother's life is very children centric .Mothers take great pride in raising their children even if they have to lose a little bit on the career front. Whereas, in Japan women are more career focused and hence are not able to give proper attention to their children. This results in weakening of family values and ultimately leads to many social problems like juvenile crime etc.
I would like to bring the Indian family values and dedication towards children into Japan.
GM:
Anything that you would like to take to India from Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
Of course I would like to take work ethics, dedication, punctuality, cleanliness and many other good things to India.
GM:
Any particular place in Japan that you think that one must go and visit.
Mrs. Jain:
I would say all of Japan is worth travelling and seeing. And the more you travel, the more you will learn about Japan and its people.
GM:
Any word of advice for Indians coming to Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
Come with an open mind and learn good things from the Japanese society and take it back to India. Also be a good ambassador of your country. Tell Japanese people about Indian culture, traditions etc.
GM:
Any message for the Indian community already living in Japan?
Mrs. Jain:
Please work towards bridging the cultural and social gap between India and Japan.
Link：India International School in Japan
Interviewer：Atul Lokurkar（from GeoManage）