Surrounded by trees, birdsong and a riot of cherry blossoms as you head up the hill into the nature preserve surrounding Tokurinji Temple, you can easily forget that a moment ago you were in the middle of Nagoya, one of Japan's largest cities. When you enter the temple grounds during the annual Hana Matsuri (festival of flowers), it's hard to be certain which country of Asia you are in at all.
One day you may find hundreds of Nepali expatriates gathered from all corners of Japan to share Nepali music, food, dance and theater.
On another day you may find a multidenominational ceremony in progress, with Buddhist monks from Vietnam, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Britain and Korea in prayer together, lighting hundreds of candles in the main temple hall under bright red, yellow, green and white flags hanging rank upon rank from the high ceiling.