FORTHCOMING
Saturday 31st May, 2025, 3 - 4 pm IST

Exploring Thoughts and Behaviours
of Indian and Japanese People
Cultural factors are shaped by the ecology, history, geography, demographics, economy, and industrialization of a place, and they strongly influence thoughts and behaviours. In times when migration was limited, cultural traits became deeply ingrained, resulting in distinct personal characteristics across nations. However, increasing migration and technological advances have reshaped global interactions. Consequently, the role of national culture in shaping individual characteristics is increasingly debated. In her presentation, Dr. Marathe will discuss the interaction between Indian and Japanese thoughts and behaviours, exploring how cultural characteristics, alongside unpredictable factors, shape their communication and perceptions.
SPEAKER
Dr. Aashlesha Marathe, Ph.D., is a researcher specializing in intercultural communication and social psychology in Japan. She arrived in Japan as a MEXT Scholar in 2020, completed her Ph.D., and continues her academic career in research and teaching. Currently based at the University of Tsukuba, her research explores the social experiences of Indian and other migrants in Japan, focusing on their interactions with Japanese society and systems.

Saturday 14 June, 2025, 3 - 4 pm IST
Japan in the eyes of Bengali Scholar Prof. Benoy Kumar Sarkar
During the last decades of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, a huge number of Indians visited Japan, especially for acquiring technological knowledge. Among the noted Bengali visitors, Prof. Benoy Kumar Sarkar (1887–1949), a social scientist and an ardent nationalist, published a book Nabin Asiar Janmadata Japan (The birth giver of young Asia, Japan) in 1923 on his 1915-Japan tour experience. Sarkar’s book shares many facts not only worth reading but also very relevant even after a century.
