THANE: From the minute Ikuma Sugiura stepped into Thane, the 24-year-old Japanese student was overwhelmed by the warm smiles, traditional namaste and hospitality Coming from the land of the rising sun, the group of 15 students from Japan's Kyoto Sangyo University have come to Thane on a student exchange programme with Vidya Prasarak Mandal's Joshi-Bedekar college.Kano Tsukada (20) said, "Before coming to India, I had a feeling that the place would be dangerous with unfriendly and unkind people. This is what mostly we read in books or on the internet. However, it was the complete opposite. It totally eliminated my stereotypes."Travelling with certain inhibitions and discomfort initially, they had no idea of what to expect from the city. Ever since they arrived, the youth have been travelling from Mumbai to Nashik, exploring the traditional delicacies while interacting with locals.Ayaka Nishitani (20) said, "The way Indians interact and help strangers on the road is something that one will not notice anywhere else. In Japan, we don't even greet unknown people. It is not our customs. The warmth and generosity of Indians is commendable."Apprehensive at first, these cultural studies students believe that their experience has not only changed their pre-conceived notions and prejudices about India and its people, but has also helped them discover something about themselves."Also, the way Indians speak about their city, their country with so much of love is charming. If there is anything I would like to take back from this exercise is the confidence which Indians exude. Japanese, on the other hand, are a bit shy and reluctant to talk about their country," said Tsukada.For another student, it was the striking resemblance between the two cultures when it came to respecting elders, senior citizens and parents. The Japanese believe that there is a lot in common between India and Japan as both are situated in Asia and so many elements are transmitted from one culture to the other such as the values. The students also tried their hand at yoga, Hindi and English speaking. They played games such as lagori and kho-kho and they girls had applied intricate mehendi designs on their hands.The students also got an opportunity to witness the Ganesh idol immersion ceremony. The students are scheduled to leave on Friday.

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