Urdu Department of the Tokyo University

Urdu Department of the Tokyo University

The Urdu Department (now called the Hindi Department) at the Tokyo University is over a century old.  Around fifteen (15) students enter the program every year and go through a four year training in reading, writing, and speaking Urdu/Hindi.  Professor Hiroshi Hagita is the current head of the Urdu Department. 
Both Professor Hiroshi Hagita and Professor Mamiya-komaki Kensaku have spent considerable amount of time in Pakistan and are well-read in Urdu literature.
On January 10, yours truly met with the three Urdu Department professors: Professor Hiroshi Hagita, Professor Mamiya-komaki Kensaku, and Professor Suhail Abbas Khan (from Faisalabad).  Professor Hiroshi Hagita was kind to let this scribe speak to a class of second-year Urdu students.
Most of the students had visited northern India or Pakistan and could do small talk in Urdu.  Yours truly read an excerpt from his latest book 'Ulat Dunya Kee Sair.'