Ahmedabad, 22 July 2012

In the morning of 22nd July 2012, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi will fly to Japan on a 4-day visit. Invited by the Japanese Government, Shri Modi’s visit will be a historic one that will strengthen mutual ties between Gujarat and Japan.

This visit is yet another example of the warm ties Japan and Gujarat have shared over the past decade. It has been a partner nation for the last 2 Vibrant Gujarat biennial summits. Shri Modi had visited Japan in April 2007 in a visit that set the stage for a long lasting relation between Gujarat and Japan. In addition, Shri Modi has also met former Japanese PMs and delegations from Japan on various occasions.

This focus of his visit starting 22nd July is to improve both economic and as well as cultural relations between India’s fastest growing state and Japan. His 4-day visit will be a comprehensive one involving 44 programmes spread across 4 provinces during which he will interact with Japan’s top leaders, engage with the top business groups and even interact with India related forums based there.

Shri Modi will interact with the highest echelons of Japan’s political leadership. He will meet Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Katsuya Okada in Tokyo. Just recently in January 2012, Mr. Okada had lauded Gujarat’s growth story when he visited India. He will also meet former Japanese Prime Ministers Mr. Shinzo Abe and Mr. Yasuo Fukuda. Mr. Abe had even met Shri Modi during his 2007 visit to Japan. In addition he will meet top Cabinet Minister including Japan’s Trade & Industry Minister Mr. Yukio Edano, Foreign Minister Mr. Koichiro Gemba and Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Tourism Minister Mr. Yuichiro Hata.

Understandably, a part of the visit will be spent in strengthening economic cooperation and this will include Shri Modi meeting some of the top figures in Japanese industry. This includes the Chairman of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and top executives of all major Japanese companies Sumitomo, IHI Corporation, BTMU, Mitsubishi Corporation, Hitachi & Itochu Corporation and Suzuki.

The Chief Minister will travel from Tokyo to Hamamatsu and then from Hamamatsu to Nagoya by Japan’s Bullet train thus having a first hand experience of the ride. He will also discuss Bullet Train projects on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune section and the Ahmedabad-Dholera Metro Train in addition to 2 Japanese industrial parks to be set up by Japan in Gujarat as a part of DMIC. Gujarat is both a major stakeholder and a beneficiary of the DMIC project apart from occupying the maximum land portion in this ambitious project. Shri Modi will also visit Bay Area of the Kobe port in context of the proposed Dholera SIR.

He will even share Gujarat’s experience in disaster management with Japan in the light of the quakes in Japan.

During all his travels overseas, something that Shri Modi particularly looks forward to is to engage with the Indian community based wherever he goes. This time too he would attend reception with the Indian and Gujarati communities in Japan and even interact with Indian engineers working with Suzuki Motors. Similar programmes would be held with the Indian Centre Foundation at Tokyo and a meeting with the Japan-India Parliamentarians’’ Friendship League.

A delegation of industrialists and Government officials will accompany Shri Modi in this trip.

This visit has generated tremendous optimism among the people across both sides. Japan’s leading business daily Nikkei covered Shri Modi’s visit in which it charts out Gujarat’s development under Shri Modi, who is described as an ‘investor friendly leader of India.’ Thus, it is truly a win-win situation for both Gujarat as well as Japan.