Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Japan Thursday night for his second visit to the country after taking charge in 2014. He had twice visited Japan when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. “Reached Japan. Looking forward to fruitful deliberations that will boost economic and cultural ties between India and Japan,” he tweeted. The PM had a brief stopover in Thailand to pay respects to late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, considered one of Asia’s tallest leaders.
The Prime Minister will be meeting his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for wide-ranging bilateral talks. The two countries are likely to sign the civilian nuclear deal as well.
On Saturday, Modi and Abe will travel from Tokyo to Kobe on Shinkansen. It will give them some “quality time”, sources said, to talk about bilateral and regional issues in a more relaxed setting. Japanese officials recalled that Abe had liked the idea of their travelling together, and had also wanted to showcase one of the commercial hubs in the country.
A Japanese government source told the Indian Express the visit to the Kawasaki Heavy Industries facility in Kobe, where high-speed trains are manufactured, has been organised. “A consent was taken from the Prime Minister’s office since he is interested in the project,” a source said.