Recently, my wife, who often takes evening walks, observed two distinct characteristics about the Indian children playing in our local park between 5 and 7 pm:
All of them are engaged in activities like soccer, cricket, jump rope, or using the playground equipment. Not a single child is seen with a smartphone or a game console, suggesting they might not carry any.
There is always the presence of a few adults, presumably mothers. On some occasions, elderly men and women can be seen deeply engrossed in conversations around tables.
It's a scene reminiscent of our own childhoods: children playing enthusiastically in the park until dark, with mothers casually chatting, yet always keeping an eye on them. Reflecting on this, my wife poignantly remarked, "It's just like when we were kids. Maybe Japanese mothers are just too busy these days." The absence of Japanese children in such scenarios indeed leaves a tinge of melancholy.
Note: In Nishi-Kasai, Tokyo, where I reside, the number of Indian engineers began increasing notably about 20 years ago. Its proximity to the city center, its not-so-distant location from Narita Airport, and the flow of the Arakawa River nearby might have contributed to this trend. Now, there are three or even four Indian schools in our neighborhood, and every morning and evening, I see several school buses pass by.
