Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): It is uncommon to find foreigners speaking fluent Hindi, however, some people have a genuine passion for learning languages and culture, leading them to delve into Hindi. Tomio Mizokami, a retired Japanese professor said that the language of necessity is English but the language of emotion is Hindi.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Japanese author Tomio Mizokami shared his journey of love for Indian culture and the Hindi language. He said, “It's a long story, and I'm very nervous to tell it. I wrote about it in detail in my book, where a large number of expatriate Indians live and those people have influenced me. I was a very innocent boy in school. I learned to speak Hindi from Indian immigrants and women.”
“I wanted to come to India as I was attached to Hindi. I wanted to trade using the Hindi language as this language is used in business. I did my graduation and post-graduation in Hindi. I was not studying Hindi to make my future but I was in love with the language,” Mizokami added.
"Hindi is not difficult as compared to other European languages. The grammar is very regular and simple, but speaking fluent Hindi is a different matter,” the Padma Shri awardee said.
When asked about which Indian politician influenced him, Tomio Mizokami quipped, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindi is very good. His Hindi is Sanskritised Hindi. It may be a bit difficult for the general public but it is clear for us.''
"I like to talk in Hindi, Punjabi, and Bangla. I speak English for necessity and have no emotional connection with English. I feel good talking to people in Hindi or Bengali. I am becoming an Indian or have become one,” he added.
In 2018, Osaka University Professor Dr. Tomio Mizokami was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Hindi learning and education.
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