Yesterday at 7 a.m., during my usual walk, I saw elderly Chinese doing Tai Chi in Wakakusa Park, as my son, who jogs there thrice a week, had mentioned.
By 5 p.m., the park becomes a meeting spot for the Indian community, full of cricket games, chatty mothers, and playful toddlers. Alongside the river, you might spot elderly Indian couples strolling with baby strollers.
Once, I saw girls playing tag next to the boys who were playing cricket. Although they chatted in what I presumed to be Hindi, they played rock-paper-scissors in Japanese, a testament to their cultural assimilation.
Japanese locals frequent the park until around 4 p.m., which could now be later.
So, it's Chinese in the early morning, Japanese until the afternoon, and Indians from evening to night. This ethnic time-share happens naturally. When you visit, you'll likely see mainly the group assigned to that time slot, like the mostly Indian crowd of 50-60 people I observed at 5 p.m.
It seems the schedules of Japanese and Indian women don't overlap due to routine differences. As Japanese women leave to prep dinner, the Indian community starts to gather. A fascinating social rhythm, isn't it?"
