There are some 5,000 expats from India currently in Japan, mostly working in the IT industry, and mostly in Tokyo. And if A.P.S. Mani is to be believed, the number will grow over the next few years.
The first thing any Indian national should do on arrival, Mani says, is check out his Web site. This will help them find their feet fast and begin networking. "If only there was such a facility when I first arrived," he notes across the table at the Bombay Club, an Indian restaurant in Shiodome, Tokyo.
Mani and his wife arrived in Japan 29 years ago, together with a babe in arms. "There has been a strong Indian community in Japan since the late 19th century, initially in Kobe, then Yokohama and finally Tokyo. In fact, I believe the Indian Embassy was second only to the British Embassy in opening here."