Tokyo, Aug 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India and Japan will continue to be a force for peace, progress and stability in Asia and the entire world. Lauding ties between India and Japan, he stated that the two nations are not just “close partners” but ancient civilisations, vibrant democracies and leading economic powers, who share a common strategic outlook.
In an interview with Japan’s leading daily The Yomiuri Shimbun, PM Modi stated that he looked forward to meeting his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba and mentioned that their focus will be on strengthening security, enhancing resilience, drive innovation and delivering prosperity to people of two nations.
When asked about his two-day visit to Japan, PM Modi stated, “I am delighted to be in Tokyo once again, this time for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. I warmly thank Prime Minister Ishiba for his gracious invitation. India and Japan are not just two close partners. We are ancient civilizations, vibrant democracies and leading economies. We share a common strategic outlook. Over the past decade, our ties have scaled new heights since they were elevated to Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The annual Summit itself is testament to the maturity and vibrancy of our ties.”
“During my meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba, I look forward to charting the next phase of our partnership. Our focus will be to strengthen security, enhance resilience, drive innovation and deliver prosperity for our peoples. I also look forward to visiting Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. It is a region that symbolises both resilience and innovation. I am confident that my visit, though short, will be long in impact. India and Japan will continue to be a force for peace, progress and stability in Asia and the world,” he added.
Later in the day, PM Modi and Ishiba held discussions during the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, the first Summit meeting between both leaders. The two leaders are also scheduled to hold a working dinner meeting.
This is PM Modi’s eighth visit to Japan. PM Modi last visited Japan in May 2023. Both leaders had earlier met in June 2025 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada and during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane in Laos, last year.
During the interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, PM Modi noted that mutual goodwill and friendship between people of India and Japan is at the heart of bilateral ties. He stated that professionals from Japan are well respected in India and have built a niche for themselves. He also lauded the contribution of Indian diaspora in the growth of various nations.
When asked how the two nations plan to take forward people-to-people exchanges, PM Modi responded, “Immense mutual goodwill and friendship between the people of India and Japan is at the heart of our ties with Japan. There is great receptivity toward our cultures and cuisines in both countries. Professionals from Japan are well respected in India and have built a niche for themselves.”
“Similarly, Indian diaspora across the world are contributing significantly in the growth of various countries. Whether it is Indian IT professionals or Indian scientific manpower, greater presence of the Indian diaspora in Japan can help stimulate new industries and new fields of knowledge where our two countries have so much at stake. We have also etched important agreements under Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program and the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) to enhance the advanced manufacturing skills of our workers. This will help our manufacturing industry grow and contribute to our vision for a developed India. Our focus has also been in promoting language education in India which would also allow our people to connect better with each other and to tap into the complementarities. I look forward to discussing this aspect of our relations at the Summit,” he added.
PM Modi arrived in Japan early Friday morning on the first leg of his two-nation visit. Upon arrival in Tokyo, PM Modi was received by Japan’s Ambassador to India ONO Keiichi, India’s Ambassador to Japan Sibi George and other senior officials.
In a post on X, PM Modi stated, “Landed in Tokyo. As India and Japan continue to strengthen their developmental cooperation, I look forward to engaging with PM Ishiba and others during this visit, thus providing an opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues of collaboration.”
PM Modi was warmly welcomed by the Indian community, who greeted him with traditional cultural performances and enthusiastic cheers on his arrival in Tokyo. PM Modi lauded the Indian community in Japan for their commitment to preserving the cultural roots while making meaningful contributions to Japanese society.
In a post on X, PM Modi stated, “I was deeply impressed by the warmth of the Indian community in Tokyo. The stance of making significant contributions to Japanese society while continuing to preserve our cultural roots is truly worthy of praise. In the next few hours, I plan to engage in an exchange of opinions with business leaders, with the aim of further invigorating the trade and investment relations between India and Japan.”
After concluding his engagements in Japan on Saturday, PM Modi will be travelling to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin from August 31-September 1. In his departure statement issued on Thursday, PM Modi stated that he looked forward to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the SCO Summit.
–IANS
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