The 19th Namaste India Festival, the biggest in Japan, will be held on 24th and 25th of September 2011. Last year, the 18th festival was very successful that more than 170,000 people came and enjoyed the event due to the beautiful weather. 

Both the Asian Club Foundation and the Japan-India Business Co-operation Committee started Namaste India Festival hand in hand in 1993. In 2003, the Society to Promote India-Japan Cultural Relations (NPO-IJCR) took over the responsibility and has been active as a principal organizer since 2005. First the festival was held in Tsukiji-honganji temple and then moved to Yoyogi Park which has more space than the previous one. The festival has attracted many people and been growing from year to year. Since the business relationship between India and Japan has been increasing these days, we believe that it is our responsibility to make every effort to strengthen cultural exchange between the two nations as well.

In the Yoyogi Park Event Square, you can experience the whole world of Indian culture such as clothing, food, business and some intellectual stuff. We have many exhibition booths relate to India in the park---dance, music, lectures, movies, yoga, Ayurveda, sally wearing experience, Mehandi ( henna art body painting) books, bazaar, exotic spices, tea places, restaurants, touring information center, and so forth. Moreover, we have a popular Lottery event that you could win round trip air tickets to India. In the second site, Tobacco & Salt Museum in Shibuya, an introduction of Indian movies and lectures are held co-hosted by the Japan-India Association and the museum.

At the seminar house in the Cultural Space in Yoyogi Park Event Square, we provide a variety of lectures and workshops such as yoga tabla sponsored by ICCR and the culture of Ainu-people. And more, we have a lot of popular events such as ﾒthe elephant plazaﾓ, ﾒthe folk art plazaﾓ, ﾒthe plaza for grown-ups and kidsﾓ. Other than those, in ﾒthe　sponsor plaza,ﾓ even we had an eco-car (ecologically-friendly car) by Mitsubishi Motors exhibited last year. Anyway, you have many opportunities to get to know Indian culture in the festival.

On the stage there, you can enjoy interesting programs mainly provided by the ICCR 

Dispatched Groups. For example, there are shows such as movie dance, the seven classical Indian dances including Bharatha Natyam, the classical Northern Indian music including Sitar, the classical Southern Indian music including Veena, and other kinds of folk music as well. 

Indo-related organizations including the Japan-India Association, the Indian Government Tourist Office and companies including Air India, Bank of India, and State Bank of India will be participate the festival setting up their own booths and displays. 

We are looking forward to seeing many of you on 24th and 25th of September. Please come to the Namaste India Festival 2011 with your friends and family members!