Prime Minister Modi Impressed by Indian Community in Tokyo, Says Visit Will Shape New Cooperation Between India and Japan

Tokyo (Japan), 29 August (Kiran News). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Tokyo as part of his two-day visit to Japan. Members of the Indian community in Tokyo met with him. Prime Minister Modi shared photos and details of this meeting on his official X handle about two hours ago.

Prime Minister Modi wrote, “The affection of the Indian community in Tokyo has greatly impressed me. It is truly admirable how they preserve our cultural roots while making significant contributions to Japanese society. In the coming hours, I will interact with business leaders to further strengthen trade and investment relations between India and Japan.”

After arriving in the Japanese capital, Prime Minister Modi posted on X, “I have reached Tokyo. India and Japan are moving forward to further strengthen development cooperation. I hope this visit will provide an opportunity for exchange of ideas with Prime Minister Ishiba and others, strengthen our existing partnership, and explore new possibilities of cooperation.”

India to Work with Japan in Defence Sector

Before starting his Japan visit, Prime Minister Modi said in a written interview to Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper that India will work more closely with Japan in the field of defence. According to The Japan News, Prime Minister Modi said that the Japan-India Joint Declaration on security cooperation, which is set to be revised during his visit, “will advance our ambition to shape a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region for future generations.”

The revised draft of the joint declaration (originally signed in 2008) includes new areas such as cooperation in economic security and the defence industry. Japan and India plan to exchange the revised document during a meeting between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Modi on Friday. Prime Minister Modi said that cooperation in the defence sector “has been a strong success story for India and Japan.” He wrote, “Japan has a proven record in the field of defence technology. With political trust and cooperation, we can design and produce next-generation defence platforms not only for ourselves but also for the world.”

Prime Minister Modi further wrote, “By combining India’s scale and capabilities with Japan’s advanced technologies, we can build a resilient and reliable semiconductor value chain. Cooperation in this sector will become a major pillar of the India-Japan partnership.”

India to Adopt Shinkansen System for High-Speed Rail Project

In the interview, Prime Minister Modi also described a high-speed rail project in India that will adopt Japan’s Shinkansen system. He said this rail project will connect the commercial centre Mumbai with the industrial city of Ahmedabad. Prime Minister Modi said, “We have set an ambitious target—to provide a 7,000-kilometre high-speed rail network in the country. I welcome the active participation of Japanese companies in this effort.”

Will Inspect Semiconductor Factory Before Leaving for China

According to Yomiuri Shimbun, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Japan on the morning of 29 August. This afternoon, he will meet Prime Minister Ishiba at the Japanese Prime Minister’s residence. The two leaders will issue a joint statement focused on strengthening security cooperation and economic partnership between Japan and India. This is Modi’s first visit to Japan since May 2023. After the meeting, both leaders will participate in a ceremony to exchange agreement documents and address a joint press conference. They will continue their discussions over dinner. Before departing for his next destination, China, on 30 August, Modi will inspect a semiconductor manufacturing equipment factory.