In an eastern area of downtown Tokyo, classes are being held in a six-story building promoting Thai language and culture.
Kinshicho, in Sumida Ward, has all the trappings of a "Little Bangkok," with Thai import stores, massage shops and restaurants that blend into the city scenery.
In a small classroom at the Thai Education and Culture Center, also known as ThaiTEC, teacher Sucharat Mana asks her students about their holidays. "Where did you go?" she says in Thai, pointing to ethnic foods that some had brought back as souvenirs. A woman manages to translate the phrase into Japanese.