• Source:JND
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PM Modi Japan Visit Updates:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday continued his two-day official visit to Japan, a trip marked by high-speed diplomacy, strategic economic announcements, and symbolic gestures of friendship with his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba. PM Modi, who arrived in Tokyo on August 29, described his engagements in Japan as “productive,” stressing that the outcomes of the visit will shape the next decade of India–Japan cooperation across multiple sectors.

In a highlight of the visit, Prime Minister Modi boarded a Shinkansen bullet train with Prime Minister Ishiba for a journey from Tokyo to Sendai. PM Modi shared photographs of the ride on social media platform X, writing, “Reached Sendai. Travelled with PM Ishiba to this city on the Shinkansen.” The two leaders observed Japan’s cutting-edge ALFA-X, the next-generation Shinkansen, symbolising the deepening cooperation between India and Japan in advanced transport technology.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit a semiconductor facility in Sendai later in the day, a move aimed at enhancing India’s semiconductor ecosystem amid New Delhi’s push for self-reliance in critical technologies. India is also exploring the purchase of prototypes of the E10 Shinkansen bullet train as part of its high-speed rail projects.

India–Japan Joint Vision For The Next Decade

Earlier in Tokyo, Modi met the Governors of 16 Japanese prefectures to strengthen the state-prefecture partnership initiative launched during the 15th Annual Summit. The Prime Minister underlined that sub-national cooperation between Indian states and Japanese prefectures could serve as a “pillar” of bilateral relations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), discussions focused on trade, innovation, start-ups, technology, artificial intelligence, and small and medium enterprises. In a post on X, the MEA stated, “Taking greater strides in the steadfast India-Japan ties. PM Narendra Modi met with the Governors of 16 prefectures in Tokyo. PM highlighted the potential of prefectures' collaboration under the initiative launched during the 15th Annual Summit.”

One of the most significant outcomes of Modi’s visit was the adoption of the “India–Japan Joint Vision for the Next Decade: Eight Directions to Steer the Special Strategic and Global Partnership.” The vision document lays down cooperation across eight priority areas, including economic partnership, technology and innovation, mobility, ecological legacies, health, and people-to-people ties.

The statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed that Japan has set a target of JPY 10 trillion private investment in India over the next decade, doubling the earlier 2022–2026 target of JPY 5 trillion.

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Key outcomes include:

•Launch of India-Japan Digital Partnership 2.0, focusing on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, IoT, and digital public infrastructure.

•A Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, designed to expand defence ties and address regional challenges.

•A new Action Plan for Human Resource Exchange, enabling 500,000 individuals, including 50,000 skilled workers from India, to work in Japan within the next five years.

•Formalisation of cooperation between ISRO and JAXA for the Chandrayaan-5 lunar mission.

•Signing of MoUs on environmental cooperation, mineral resources, wastewater management, and cultural exchange.

PM Modi’s visit carries a strong geopolitical message. It comes after US President Donald Trump decided to impose 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports. This situation is pushing New Delhi to diversify its trade partnerships. Calling his Japan engagements “productive,” PM Modi posted on X: “Productive outcomes during a productive visit. May India–Japan friendship scale newer heights in the times to come.” He also interacted with Indian train drivers undergoing training with East Japan Railway Company, underscoring the growing collaboration in rail technology and human resource development.

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Following his engagements in Japan, PM Modi will leave for Tianjin, China, to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on August 31 and September 1. This will be the second part of his foreign visit. He is expected to have important discussions with regional leaders about security, trade, and connectivity.