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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray put up a post on social media X on Tuesday, appreciating a young Japanese woman who is currently residing in the state and learning Marathi. The woman reportedly learns a new Marathi word every day and posts short videos documenting her progress. 

Thackeray, sharing the woman`s video in his post, said that foreigners visiting Maharashtra respect the state and make efforts to learn the local language.

“If they are staying here for long, they try to learn Marathi; at the very least, they never disrespect it. And when we speak to them in our language, they feel happy,” he wrote.

एका जपानी तरुणीचा एक व्हिडीओ समोर आला. ती सध्या महाराष्ट्रात वास्तव्याला आहे आणि ती तिच्या परीने मराठी भाषा शिकायचा प्रयत्न करत आहे. ती एक नवीन मराठी शब्द रोज शिकते आणि त्याची एक चित्रफीत तिने टाकली. ती चित्रफीत पाहिल्यावर एक विचार डोक्यात आला की हे सगळे काही हजार किलोमीटरवरून… pic.twitter.com/jFH97Ax61q

— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) February 24, 2026

Thackeray further noted that many foreigners actively engage with Marathi culture, from attending local plays to understanding regional cuisine and history, showing both curiosity and respect for the language. He recalled instances such as Chris Martin of Coldplay greeting audiences in Marathi during a Navi Mumbai concert and foreign dignitaries doing the same during visits to the city.

He contrasted this with some locals who, despite living in the state, often overlook speaking Marathi, urging them to embrace and prioritise their own language. He cited the example of Sudarshan, a former RSS chief, who maintained fluency in Kannada despite living outside Karnataka.

Concluding his post, Thackeray appealed to Marathi speakers: “Foreigners will respect your language, but we must make the knowledge of Marathi essential for all the locals so it cannot be ignored.”

He ended with a note of gratitude to the Japanese girl for her dedication.