Archive · 8 Oct 2026
Japanese Dancer and Indian Entrepreneur Discuss Belonging Across Cultures
Kaori Naka is a Japanese dancer who has lived in India for about 15 years.
She performs Odissi, a classical Indian dance.
At first, she worried that she could not dance like Indian performers because she was Japanese.
She now believes that people who share a love of art can understand one another across nationalities.
Nupur Tewari is Indian and has lived in Japan for 24 years.
She said people in Japan made her feel welcome, and that living there helped her appreciate Indian culture more.
She encouraged Indian students in Japan to spend time with local people and join community activities.
Both women said young people should respect their own cultures while learning about others.
At an NDTV Indo-Japan Summit session, Kaori Naka and Nupur Tewari discussed belonging in countries other than their birthplace.
Naka, an Odissi dancer who has lived in India for around 15 years, said shared dedication to art can make nationality unimportant.
She described earlier doubts about whether she could express Odissi like Indian dancers, but said she has accepted who she is.
Tewari, who has spent 24 years in Japan, said she felt accepted there and that living in Japan deepened her appreciation of Indian culture.
Tewari urged Indian students in Japan to engage with local communities, while both speakers encouraged young people to value their own traditions.
- Who
- Odissi dancer Kaori Naka and Connect India Japan founder Nupur Tewari.
- What
- They discussed cultural belonging and their experiences living in India and Japan.
- When
- At an NDTV Indo-Japan Summit session; no date was specified.
- Where
- The NDTV Indo-Japan Summit; the article does not specify the venue.
- Why
- The session explored what it means to belong in a country other than the one where someone was born.
Cultural Belonging
Different Experiences
How people find belonging abroad
Cultural Belonging
Naka said that sharing the language of an art form can make nationality unimportant.
Different Experiences
Tewari described feeling accepted in Japan from her arrival and through small acts of kindness.
Engaging with another culture
Cultural Belonging
Naka emphasized pursuing an art form with passion while accepting one's own identity.
Different Experiences
Tewari advised Indian students in Japan to leave their comfort zone and connect with local communities.
- Session
- Life, Culture and Belonging in India and Japan
- Kaori Naka
- Japanese Odissi dancer who has lived in India for around 15 years
- Nupur Tewari
- Indian founder of Connect India Japan who has spent 24 years in Japan
- Naka's view
- She said art has its own language and nationality does not matter when people learn that language together.
- Tewari's advice
- She encouraged Indian students in Japan to meet local people, attend festivals, and visit shrines and temples.
- Shared message
- Both speakers encouraged young people to appreciate their own traditions while learning about other cultures.