A town in Hokkaido, northern Japan, has offered families of Indian people working at local racehorse ranches an opportunity to learn more about the local industry and key life skills, such as how to call the emergency services.
The town of Urakawa, which is known for racehorse breeding, has welcomed an increasing number of Indian stable staff and their families to address a labor shortage.
On Monday, about 20 family members of the Indian workers joined a tour to learn about the town.
They visited a strawberry farm and enjoyed picking and tasting the local specialty.
One participant asked what measures farmers take against summer heat in an apparent effort to better understand the local industry.
Another participant said she had difficulty understanding the Japanese instructions for cosmetics. Staff from a local pharmacy took part in an event at the town hall and responded to the request. They also introduced sunscreen and other products.
The Indians also visited a fire station to learn about how to make an emergency call through a Hindi interpreter.
An Indian woman in her 20s said that she had no idea of what number to call in an emergency, so it was helpful to learn how to make a 119 call in Japan.
Inaoka Chiharu of the group that organized the tour said she wants to help Indian people in the town better understand the local community, fit in well and live safely.