■Indian Film Ek Din Released in Singapore
On 1 May 2026, the Indian film Ek Din was released in cinemas across Singapore. The film is a remake of the 2016 Thai movie One Day and tells a poignant love story set against the winter landscapes of Hokkaido.
Filmed in locations including Sapporo, Otaru, Asahikawa, and Noboribetsu, the movie features many familiar scenes that are well known to Hokkaido residents
▲ According to reviews posted on the website of a major cinema chain in Singapore, one viewer described the film as “a beautiful and heartwarming story that is definitely worth watching.”
Reference：GOLDEN VILLAGE_Ek Din紹介ページ(https://www.gv.com.sg/GVMovieDetails#/movie/8469)
■Indian Culture in Singapore
People of Indian ethnicity make up approximately 9% of Singapore’s population, and Tamil—a language spoken primarily in southern India—is one of the country’s four official languages.
Indian culture is deeply embedded in everyday life in Singapore. Hawker centres throughout the country feature numerous stalls serving Indian dishes such as biryani and curry, while it is also common to see women dressed in traditional saris.
In Little India, Singapore’s Indian cultural district, visitors can explore the Mustafa Centre, a renowned shopping complex offering a wide variety of Indian groceries and products, as well as several Hindu temples that reflect the community’s rich cultural and religious heritage.
■Growing Interest in the Indian Market
India’s rapidly expanding population and strong economic growth have made it an increasingly important market for local governments across Japan. However, given the country’s significant regional diversity in terms of language, cuisine, and ethnic characteristics, it is generally considered more effective to focus on a specific state and develop a targeted strategy rather than treating India as a single, homogeneous market.
With employment opportunities remaining limited in India, a growing number of young people are seeking work overseas, including in Japan. To support this trend, training centres have been established locally to prepare prospective workers for employment in Japan. At the same time, several challenges remain, including a strong preference among applicants to work in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, as well as the high level of Japanese language proficiency often required by employers, making successful job matching difficult.
In terms of inbound tourism, many Indian visitors have specific dietary requirements based on their religious beliefs and food culture. As a result, some travellers prefer destinations where Indian restaurants are available or where they have access to cooking facilities. A better understanding of these cultural and dietary needs is therefore considered essential for effectively welcoming more visitors from India.
