Modi in Tokyo: Buddhism, bullet trains, and big business – a timeline of centuries-old India-Japan ties

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo on 29 August on a two-day official visit to attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit and addressed an India-Japan Joint Economic Forum to begin his engagements. 

This is PM Narendra Modi's first standalone visit to Japan in nearly seven years. The two-day trip aims to deepen bilateral ties and advance the Special Strategic and Global Partnership with Japan.

While addressing the India-Japan Economic Forum, along with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, PM Narendra Modi said Japan has always been an important partner in India's development journey.

"From metro rail to manufacturing, semiconductors to startups...Japanese companies have invested over $40 billion in India," PM Narendra Modi said, adding that while Japan is a tech powerhouse, India is a talent powerhouse.

As per Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Survey in 2024, India maintained its position as the top promising country over the medium term (next 3 years) with a vote share of 58.7 per cent, up from 48.6 per cent in 2023.

According to official data, India maintained its first-place ranking as the most promising country in the automobile, Electrical equipment and electronics, Chemical, and General Machinery sectors.

India-Japan ties date back to the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to Japan and have been reinforced by convergence in their regional and global outlooks, especially in the last two decades.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi ahead of Narendra Modi's two-day visit that the two nations share a long history of diplomatic engagement, including multiple high-level visits and partnerships in trade, investment, clean energy, infrastructure, and technology.

India-Japan Ties: Timeline

2007: Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe delivered the landmark ‘Confluence of two seas’ speech in the Parliament of India, quoting from the title of a book authored by the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh in 1655.

“My friends, where exactly do we now stand historically and geographically? To answer this question, I would like to quote here the title of a book authored by the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh in 1655. We are now at a point at which the Confluence of the Two Seas is coming into being,” Abe said

2000-Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s visit to India provided the momentum to strengthen the Japan-India relationship. Mori and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee decided onthe establishment of "Global Partnership between Japan and India"

2005: Since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit to India, Japan-India annual summit meetings have been held in the respective capitals

2014: Abe is the chief guest of the Republic Day. India-Japan ties are elevated to ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’

2014: PM Modi pays an official visit to Japan and has a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

2016: PM Modi paid an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Abe

2022: PMFumio Kishida visits India

2023: PM Modi visited Japan, and held summit meetings

2024: PM Modi meets Japanese PM three times, marking the tenth years of ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’

Cooperation On Security

During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Japan in October 2008, two nations issued "the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India".

There are also various frameworks of security and defence dialogue between Japan and India, including the Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting (“2+2” meeting), annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue and Coast Guard-to-Coast Guard dialogue. In September 2022, the second ”2+2” meeting was held in Tokyo.

On 9 September 2020, the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of India Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defence Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (so-called “Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement” or ACSA) was signed. ACSA came into force on July 11, 2021.

Bilateral Trade

Japan’s bilateral trade with India totalled US$22.85 billion during FY 2023-24. Exports from Japan to India during this period were US$17.69 billion, and imports were US$5.15 billion.

Today, India ranks 18th in Japan’s total trade with 1.4 per cent share while, Japan ranks 17th in India’s total trade with 2.1 per cent share.

Year    2020-21    2021-22    2022-23    2023-24    2024-25 (Apr-Jan 25)
India's export to Japan (USD Billion)    4.43    6.18    5.46    5.15    5.1
India's import from Japan (USD Billion)    10.9    14.39    16.49    17.69    15.9
India-Japan bilateral trade (USD Billion)    15.33    20.57    21.96    22.85    21

India ranks 11th in Japan’s total exports with a 2.2 per cent share and 25th in India’s total exports with a 1.2 per cent share. India ranks 28th in Japan’s total imports with a 0.7% share and 12th in India’s total imports with a2.6% share. India’s total trade with Japan in FY24-25 (Apr’24 – Jan’25) is USD 21 billion, with Exports of USD 5.1 billion and Imports of USD 15.9 billion.

Some bits of History

The exchange between Japan and India is said to have begun in the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

“Indian culture, filtered through Buddhism, has had a great impact on Japanese culture, and this is the source of the Japanese people's sense of closeness to India,” the Ministry says.

In 1949, after World War II, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. The ministry says this brought a ray of light into the lives of the Japanese people who still had not recovered from defeat in the war. Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28 April 1952.

This treaty was one of the first peace treaties Japan signed after World War II, the ministry says.

Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations. In the post-World War II period, India's iron ore greatly helped Japan recover from the devastation. Following Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi's visit to India in 1957, Japan started providing yen loans to India in 1958, the first yen loan aid extended by the Japanese government.

Japan has always been an important partner in India's development journey. From metro rail to manufacturing, semiconductors to startups...
 

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi's visit will consolidate the longstanding friendship between India and Japan, open new avenues for cooperation, and reaffirm both countries' shared commitment to peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Semiconductors, bullet trains

On Saturday, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Ishiba are also expected to take a tour of Tokyo Electron Factory, the famed Japanese electronics and semiconductor company headquartered in Akasaka.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has announced that the two leaders will also travel to Miyagi Prefecture on 30 August to inspect the Tohoku Shinkansen plant in Sendai.

The leaders are expected to sign an agreement on the introduction of Japanese E-10 coaches, to be transferred to India in 2030 for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail or the ‘Bullet Train’ project.

Towards the end of his remarks at the India-Japan Economic Forum on Friday, PM Narendra Modi made his 'Make-in-India' pitch, saying, “come, make-in-India, and make for the world….” as he highlighted the importance of technology and innovation.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo on Friday for a two-day official visit to Japan, during which he will participate in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit.

Upon his arrival, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by ONO Keiichi, Japan’s Ambassador to India, Sibi George, India’s Ambassador to Japan, and other dignitaries.

During his stay from August 29 to 30, he is scheduled to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, marking their first bilateral summit-level meeting since Ishiba assumed office.

This high-level engagement marks a significant step in further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries.

This visit also marks PM Modi's eighth trip to Japan as Prime Minister, underscoring the deepening relationship between New Delhi and Tokyo.

At the summit, the two leaders will review the progress of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which spans a wide range of areas including defence and security, trade and economic cooperation, technology and innovation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during the visit, the two Prime Ministers will review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, including defence and security, trade and economy, technology and innovation, and people to people exchanges, as well as discuss issues of regional and global importance. The visit will reaffirm the longstanding special bond of friendship between the two countries.

In addition to the summit, Prime Minister Modi will engage with prominent Japanese industrialists and political leaders to further boost economic cooperation and attract investment in key sectors.

PM Modi last visited Japan in May 2023. Since then, he and Prime Minister Ishiba have interacted on multiple occasions, most recently on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada in June 2025, and during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

Following his engagements in Japan, PM Modi will depart for China to attend the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Before leaving for Tokyo, the Prime Minister shared a post on the social media platform X, stating, “I am confident that my visits to Japan and China will further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development.”

This will be PM Modi's first visit to China in last seven years and the first since the Galwan Valley faceoff between the soldiers of the two countries at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June 2020.