Sukhpal Singh, a resident of Amritsar, was joyfully reunited with his Japanese son, Rin Takahata, after 20 years of separation. Rin, a 21-year-old student at Osaka University of Arts, found his father while working on a college project to complete his family tree. Armed with just his father’s name, an old address, and some photos provided by his mother, Sachie Takahata, Rin arrived in Amritsar on August 18. Locals on Fatehgarh Churian Road helped him locate his father’s new residence on Loharka Road, leading to an emotional reunion just before the Raksha Bandhan festival.
Recalling the moment, Sukhpal said, “I was at my in-laws for Raksha Bandhan when I got a call from my brother that my son had arrived from Japan. I was shocked and rushed back immediately, asking my brother to take care of him until I arrived. Words cannot express the feelings I had when we finally embraced.”
Father and son had tried to find each other through social media previously but were unsuccessful. Rin explained that the college assignment on his family tree sparked his search for his father: “I knew about my mother’s side of the family, but I had little information about my father apart from his name, Sukhpal Singh. That inspired me to look for him.”
Sukhpal shared the history of his relationship with Rin’s mother, Sachie. He met Sachie in Thailand, married her in Japan in 2002, and lived with her in Chiba Ken, near Tokyo. Their son, Rin, was born in 2003, but the marriage faced difficulties. Sukhpal returned to India in 2004, and although Sachie joined him later that year, misunderstandings between them persisted. They both returned to Japan but eventually separated, and Sukhpal returned to India in 2007. He later married Gurvinderjit Kaur, with whom he has a daughter, Avleen Pannu.
After informing Sachie about Rin’s visit, Sukhpal said that she responded, “Rin is an adult and makes his own decisions.”
On Raksha Bandhan, Avleen tied a rakhi on Rin, welcoming him as her brother, and Gurvinderjit accepted him as her son. Rin expressed a desire for his parents to reconnect: “Of course, I want them to meet at least once.”
Rin also plans to visit Amritsar regularly to spend more time with his father and his new family. “I will be coming to Amritsar frequently to stay with my father and his other family members,” he said.
Their reunion underscores the emotional challenges and strength of family ties, bridging cultural and geographical gaps after two decades apart.