Konnichiwa Pune 2021 (Nov 19-21): An open invitation to connect to Japan, its culture, education, food and business

PUNE: It’s good news for those who love Japan – the land of the rising sun, and its culture. 

After a brief lull, the annual Indo-Japan festival Konnichiwa Pune 2021 is back with a bang, this time though in a virtual mode keeping in mind the safety of the audience and participants alike.

The 3-day extravaganza being organized by the Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC) and Consulate General of Japan, Mumbai on November 19-21, will bring to life the Indo-Japanese fusion in the form of cultural shows, food workshops, education fair, panel discussions, specific talk shows, and much more besides business sessions. 

Every year, the audience from across India including those from Maharashtra as well as in Japan wait with bated breath for this big Indo-Japan festival. 

Having skipped the year 2020 for the apparent reasons of the Covid-19-infused lockdown situation, the Konnichiwa Pune’s second edition was held at Phoenix Marketcity Mall in Pune on November 15-17 and attracted over 10,000 audiences. IJBC’s first event Konnichiwa Pune 2019 was a 2-day event.    

As Siddharth Deshmukh, Co-Founder and President, IJBC put it, Konnichiwa Pune is a three-day festival by Indo-Japan Business Council. The Festival aims to bring people, businesses, and educational institutes together. Konnichiwa Pune seeks to promote the exchange of trade, culture, and educational ties between India and Japan in a friendly festive manner.

It’s one of a kind event that brings together enthusiastic and like-minded people from India and Japan. Konnichiwa Pune can be the perfect platform you are looking forward to connecting, engage and tying up with the right people in business, academia, and governments.  

Konnichiwa Pune was conceptualized in the year 2016 but its first event started in 2018 with a 2-day festival happening at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. The focus was culture, education, and some business seminars and food stalls and business stalls. It was closely followed by a 3-day event the next year. 

“At Konnichiwa Pune, we not only talk about business but also food, art, and culture as well. Though we, want to promote bilateral industrial ties and business between India and Japan, we know that understanding culture and having people to people connect is very important before you start doing business. So, it was conceptualized as a coming together from both the side of communities to exchange thoughts culture and contacts so that business can be facilitated,” Mr. Deshmukh told Asian Community News (ACN) Network, the Online Media Partner for the event.   

He said that the core concept behind Konnichiwa Pune was to create an opportunity where people from India and Japan can came together in a more casual and friendly environment to celebrate people-to-people connections, and also learn from each other about culture, food, and lifestyle. 

“Such an environment will encourage them to discuss business, trade, commerce, and other challenges they face in actual day-to-day life,” the IJBC president added.

Mr. Deshmukh said that the online registration for the event had started and it has already crossed the 5000 mark with more than a month left for the event to start. Those interested can log on to the event website https://www.konnichiwa.ijbc.org and register for the event for free as there is no cost to registration.

According to Abhishek Choudhury, VP, Industrial Relations, IJBC, the 3-day day will have a session of six hours every day. 

“The six-hour duration is divided into three slots of 2-hours each. The attractions of the event include the food corner, education corner, author’s corner, and talk shows, panel discussions, and many more. We will have educational institutions holding consultation sessions for aspiring youths. Another attract would be the specific panel discussions and talk shows such as mushroom growers sharing their experiences with the audiences,” Mr. Choudhury added, 

Tomio Isogai, Freelance Advisor in Indo-Japanese Relations, Former Managing Director, SHARP India & Middle East, and a supporter of IJBC and Konnichiwa Pune has sought support and presence at the Konnichiwa Pune 2021 event to celebrate the Indo Japan historical relationship. 

“The event is aimed to bring people, businesses, and educational institutes together. Konnichiwa Pune seeks to promote the exchange of trade, culture, and educational ties between India and Japan in a friendly festive manner. This year’s event theme is India and Japan Relations in Post Covid World – Business. Commerce. Economics. Education. Culture. Our goal is to encourage dialog and collaboration between India and Japan in business, trade, commerce, education, and culture,” stated Mr. Isogai in one of his Facebook posts.

Mr. Isogai is also a Senior Advisor at Japan Desk, Kochhar & Co., India, and a visiting faculty at MIT World Peace University, Pune.