Stories from the bridge
Journeys between India and Japan, told by the people living them.
Latest
Weekly series
A new part publishes every week, always on the same day.
Monday· Space Industry Series
View more →November 2, 2026
A New Spaceport, a Returning Rocket, a Date on the Calendar
India's new Kulasekarapattinam spaceport EOI bars foreign bidders, Japan's H3 rocket is flying reliably again, and a 4th Japan-India 2+2 ministerial now has a Tokyo window. Part 6 tracks all three.
Read more →🛰️October 12, 2026
As IAC Closes, Japan and India Each Sign With Someone Else
IAC 2026 closed on 9 October after Japan's ispace signed two new lunar deals with Europe and India deepened its own ESA tie — neither with each other. Part 5 checks what actually landed.
Read more →🌌October 5, 2026
At IAC 2026, India and Japan Share a Stage, Not Yet a Deal
IAC 2026 opened today in Antalya with a record 108 countries, and Delhi's Kautilya Conclave added its own India-Japan space commentary. Part 4 checks what's real so far — and what still hasn't landed.
Read more →🛰️September 28, 2026
India-Japan Space Talent Is Moving. Manufacturing Still Isn't
Part 1 of our Space Industry Series named talent and manufacturing as the two gaps between Japan and India's space sectors. Part 3 checks in: a JICA training pipeline and a Kono-led ISRO visit are real progress, but manufacturing is still stuck.
Read more →🚀September 21, 2026
India's First Orbital Launch, and the Japan Deals Already Signed
Skyroot just made India the third country with private orbital launch capability, and became its first space-tech unicorn. Part 2 of our Space Industry Series looks at the India-Japan space deals already signed, and the regulatory path for what comes next.
Read more →🛰️September 13, 2026
Japan and India in Space: Two Rising Powers, One Shared Opportunity
Japan's mature, precision-driven space program and India's fast-scaling startup ecosystem are converging — starting with a joint Moon mission. Part 1 of our Space Industry Series looks at where each program stands today.
Read more →Tuesday· Investment Bridge Series
View more →October 27, 2026
A GIFT City Door Opens for Retail Japanese Money
One Nippon Life fund already routes ordinary Japanese yen into India's Nifty 50 through GIFT City. SWAGAT-FI, digital PoAs, and an FSA-IFSCA pact are making that door easier to find.
Read more →📈October 6, 2026
Lenskart and Meesho Listed. OYO's Turn Is Next.
Lenskart is up ~70% since its November listing, Meesho debuted at a 46% premium, and OYO's parent PRISM readies a $7-8B third IPO try. Part 4 tracks the exit side of Japan's India bet.
Read more →🏦September 29, 2026
Japan Overtakes the US as India's Top Source of Capital
Japan overtook the US as India's top FDI source, GIFT City's AIF assets topped $111 billion, and MUFG, SMBC, and Mizuho are each placing distinct bets. Part 3 of our Investment Bridge Series.
Read more →🏭September 22, 2026
The Semiconductor Corridor Got a Number, and Japan Quietly Won India's GCC Race
SEMICON India 2026 just put a $12.5 billion number on the India-Japan semiconductor corridor, Deloitte confirmed Japan is now the largest source of Global Capability Centres in India, and a new deep-tech framework landed right on schedule. Part 2 of our Investment Bridge Series.
Read more →💹September 15, 2026
Japan's Capital, India's Growth: Where Japanese Investors Are Already Placing Their Bets
From Suzuki's $8 billion EV bet to SMBC's roughly $2 billion stake in Yes Bank, Japanese capital is already moving into India at record pace. Part 1 of our Investment Bridge Series maps where the money is going — and how companies and funds on both sides can find each other.
Read more →Wednesday· Pop Culture Bridge Series
View more →November 4, 2026
The Convention Sponsor That's Already Japanese
Anime Times — a 13-company Japanese consortium — already outdraws the comic-con circuit Part 6 named. TIFFCOM 2026 closes with no India session, and Doraemon's run finally slows past ₹22 crore.
Read more →📖October 21, 2026
Crunchyroll Adds Manga as Doraemon Keeps Climbing
Crunchyroll launched a 250-title manga storefront in India, Doraemon's India run passed ₹20 crore, and Chennai Comic Con's Crunchyroll-sponsored fourth edition was just confirmed for January 2027.
Read more →🎮October 14, 2026
Gaming Enters the Bridge as IMAGE-75 Gets a Name
JetSynthesys signed Japan's first India-specific gaming MoU, the government named a 2027 "IMAGE-75" manga-anime-gaming initiative, and a Doraemon film beat Jujutsu Kaisen 0 at India's box office.
Read more →📚October 7, 2026
Japan's Manga Publishers Beat Anime Studios Into India
Kodansha and Poplar both opened Delhi manga/book subsidiaries this fall. Toonz-1st PLACE and Panchsheela still lack a finished title, and Japan still isn't on India's co-production treaty list.
Read more →🎪September 30, 2026
Japan's Anime Profit Crisis Meets Delhi's Big Mela
Only 40% of Japan's anime studios turned a profit in 2024, Teikoku Databank finds. Days later, Delhi hosts Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! 2026 with a JETRO matchmaking program. Part 3 checks in.
Read more →🎨September 23, 2026
India's AVGC Policy Wave Meets Japan's Anime Studios
A dozen-plus Indian states are funding AVGC policies, and Toonz Media Group and Geek Pictures India are already producing anime with Japanese partners. Part 2 asks if the two tracks are meeting.
Read more →🎮September 16, 2026
Anime, Games, and the Next India-Japan Bridge
Japan's anime industry just posted a record $25 billion year, with overseas sales overtaking domestic for the first time — and India is already its third-largest audience. Part 1 of our Pop Culture Bridge Series looks at what that means long term, with this week's Tokyo Game Show as the backdrop.
Read more →Thursday· Food Bridge Series
View more →October 22, 2026
Still No CEPA Terms, Still No Mango Resolution
A week on, CEPA still has no terms of reference, Japan's mango ban has no resolution, and Kewpie's plant is still a proposal. Part 6 of our Food Bridge Series checks three threads — plus one real number.
Read more →🍚October 15, 2026
Japan's Rice Story Just Flipped, Mid-Push From India
Japan flipped from rice shortage to surplus in two years and is buying back 210,000 tonnes to prop up prices — just as India pushes CEPA for more basmati access. Part 5 of our Food Bridge Series.
Read more →🏪October 8, 2026
Why Japan's Rice Shortage Isn't Basmati's Opening
Japan's private rice imports jumped 95-fold in 2025 and Delhi wants basmati access in a CEPA review — but Japan's shortage is in a completely different grain. Part 4 of our Food Bridge Series.
Read more →🥭October 1, 2026
Japan's Mango Ban and the Real Cost of Clearing Its Bar
Japan suspended Indian mango imports after a failed facility inspection — the second such ban in 40 years. Part 3 of our Food Bridge Series asks what clearing Japan's food-safety bar actually costs.
Read more →🍵September 24, 2026
Mayonnaise, Curry, and Matcha: India's Food Bridge Widens
Kewpie is opening in Haryana, CoCo Ichibanya is entering Delhi via Mitsui, and Assam just launched India's first matcha. Part 2 of our Food Bridge Series follows the companies actually crossing.
Read more →🍛September 17, 2026
Spices, Curry, and Matcha: The Next India-Japan Food Bridge
Japan's food industry is looking abroad for the first time in decades, and India's food processing sector has quietly professionalized. Part 1 of our Food Bridge Series, publishing weekly, looks at where the two food cultures already meet.
Read more →Friday· AI Bridge Series
View more →October 16, 2026
Japan's AI Teams Are Moving Into India, Not Just Hiring From It
Deloitte says Japan is now India's top APAC GCC investor, Mitsubishi Electric signed an AI research MoU with IIT Hyderabad. Part 4 of our AI Bridge Series goes inside the campuses.
Read more →🛂October 2, 2026
The Visa, the Salary, and the Japanese You Actually Need
A points-based visa that fast-tracks permanent residency, a 3-4x pay gap, and an April 2026 rule clearing pure engineers of needing fluency. Part 3 of our AI Bridge Series on what the move actually takes.
Read more →🧑💻September 25, 2026
Meet the Companies Already Hiring India's AI Talent
Fujitsu, NTT Data, and SoftBank are hiring AI talent in Bengaluru, Sarvam partnered with Preferred Networks, and Tokyo named investors backing India's AI startups. Part 2 of our AI Bridge Series.
Read more →🤖September 18, 2026
Japan's AI Talent Gap, India's AI Talent Surplus
Japan is spending unprecedented sums on AI and can't hire fast enough to use it. India has built the world's second-largest AI talent pool and is losing it elsewhere. Part 1 of our weekly AI Bridge Series looks at the gap in between.
Read more →Saturday· Career Bridge Series
View more →October 24, 2026
The Insurance and Pension Rules Now Tied to Your Visa
Enrolling in NHI and the national pension will soon carry real visa consequences, a viral ¥400bn non-payment claim was debunked, and Tokyo still lacks clinics that treat you outside Japanese. Part 6.
Read more →💳October 17, 2026
Bank Accounts, SIM Cards, and What's Left of the Paycheck
Japan's June 2026 residence-card rollout froze some bank sign-ups, the LDP wants My Number tied to every account, and the 2026 tax cut barely outpaces a new insurance levy. Part 5 of our Career Bridge Series.
Read more →🏠October 10, 2026
Salary Bands, Reikin, and the Real Moving-In Cost
SSW visas average ¥221-233k a month, Engineer visas ¥313k — but a first apartment can demand 4-6 months' rent upfront in reikin, deposits and guarantor fees. Part 4 of our Career Bridge Series.
Read more →🔍October 3, 2026
Who's Hiring Indians for Japan, and Who's Scamming Them
BorderPlus and Sompo Care now have real caregiver placement numbers, NSDC and Japan's OTIT keep matching registries, and JP-MIRAI data shows what a scam costs. Part 3 of our Career Bridge Series.
Read more →🛂September 26, 2026
Japan's Visa Rules Just Shifted, Industry by Industry
A new N2 rule hit the IT visa, three SSW sectors opened applications, and the program replacing technical intern training arrives in 2027. Part 2 of our Career Bridge Series on what to prepare.
Read more →🎓September 19, 2026
Freshers, Mid-Career, and the Industries Actually Hiring Indians in Japan
Japan and India are targeting 50,000 highly skilled Indians moving to work in Japan within five years. That number maps onto at least five real industries, each with a different entry point for freshers versus mid-career professionals. Part 1 of our weekly Career Bridge Series.
Read more →Sunday· Health & Beauty Bridge Series
View more →November 1, 2026
An Address Surfaces for India's Medical-Tourism Hub
YEIDA quietly gave the Budget's health hub an address in August — before Part 5 even looked. The device park, research pact, and beauty side's Hindi gap still haven't moved. Part 6.
Read more →🏗️October 25, 2026
Where India-Japan Health Ties Are Actually Moving
Part 4's two tracked questions are still open, but a Japanese medtech MoU, a Budget hub blueprint, and a beauty clinic's language rollout show where this relationship is actually moving. Part 5.
Read more →🛡️October 18, 2026
A New Health Pact, But the Insurance Gap Stays
India and Japan signed a health-research pact and Galaxy Health launched travel cover — but the inbound medical-tourism insurance product Goyal asked for in September still doesn't exist. Part 4.
Read more →🌿October 4, 2026
India Wants 10 Million Medical Tourists. Where's Japan?
India just set a 10-million-patient medical-tourism target while Japan's own inbound numbers stay tiny. Who's actually building the bridge, and the real state of Kampo-Ayurveda. Part 3.
Read more →💉September 27, 2026
A Vaccine, a Caregiver Visa, and Bioré's India Debut
A Japanese vaccine maker is transferring tech to Serum Institute, Kao picked its India partner for Bioré, and a caregiver pipeline has a mandate. Part 2 of our Health & Beauty Bridge Series.
Read more →🧴September 20, 2026
Pharma, Med-Tech, J-Beauty, and Ayurveda: India-Japan's Wellness Bridge
India's pharma exports to Japan are barely a rounding error, even as Japanese med-tech giants build factories across India. Meanwhile J-beauty is entering India and Ayurveda is entering Japan, at the same time. Part 1 of our weekly Health & Beauty Bridge Series.
Read more →More stories
October 17, 2026
Kids' haircuts in Japan: why we recommend FaSS, and how to book with the app
A fixed ¥1,850 kids' cut, no Japanese conversation needed to book, and an app that lets you wait at home instead of in the salon with a restless child. Here's the full flow.
Read more →🏏September 22, 2026
India vs Japan, For the First Time Ever: Inside the Suzuki Cup at Sano
Today in Tochigi, India and Japan play cricket against each other for the first time in history — full squads, a 3,000-seat ground that sold out in an hour, and why a one-off T20I is the opening move of something much larger.
Read more →🌉May 20, 2026
Why we built this bridge
Not for jobs, not for deals — but so that no one makes the crossing between India and Japan alone.
Read more →🌱May 4, 2026
Kaizen isn’t just for factories
The world learned Kaizen from Toyota’s assembly line. But its real home is everyday life.
Read more →✈️April 18, 2026
From Pune to Tokyo: my first month
Convenience-store dinners, train-map panic, and the volunteer who walked me to my ward office.
Read more →