Ayappanpillai Madhavan Nair (1905–1990), also known as Nair-san

Japanese honorifics

The Japanese language has many honorifics, parts of speech which show respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank.The system of honorifics...

, was closely involved with Japan in the Indian independence movement.

History

Nair did his basic schooling in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. Nair had to leave Kerala at 18 as he led protests against British rule. He studied engineering in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 at Kyoto University

Kyoto University

, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...

.
After a short stint as an engineer he entered Japanese politics as a follower of Netaji, becoming his personal valet.
During the Second World War, Nair joined the Indian Independence league

Indian Independence League

The Indian Independence League was a political organisation operated from the 1920s to the 1940s to organize those living outside of India into seeking the removal of British colonial rule over India...

 in Japan under Rash Behari Bose

Rash Behari Bose

Rashbehari Bose was a revolutionary leader against the British Raj in India and was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar conspiracy and later, the Indian National Army.-Early life:...

. In 1949, Nair founded an Indian restaurant in Ginza

Ginza

is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...

, Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

.

Last years

Nair was given the Order of the Sacred Treasure

Order of the Sacred Treasure

The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...

 (Kun zuihosho) by Emperor Hirohito

Hirohito

, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...

 in November 1984. He died on April 22, 1990.

Film

An upcoming film named Naiarsan starring Mohanlal

Mohanlal

Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...

 and Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...

 is being made based on his life, directed by Alberrt Antoni

Alberrt Antoni

Alberrt Antoni is a Malayali Indian film director. His debut film as a director is critically acclaimed Kanne Madanguka . He is the director of Nair-san, a forthcoming Indo-Japanese historical film, based on the legendary Indian freedom fighter A. M. Nair, popularly known as Nair-san in Japan with...

.

Autobiography

• An Indian freedom fighter in Japan: Memoirs of A.M. Nair (1982) Sole distributorship, Ashok Uma Publications　ISBN 0-86131-339-9

External links

• http://www.nairsan.com/
• GINZA NAIR'S RESTAURANT, founded by A. M. Nair in 1949