Throughout history, India–Japan relations have always been strong. For centuries, India and Japan have engaged in cultural exchanges, primarily as a result of Buddhism which spread indirectly from India to China and then to Japan. During the Second World War, Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army and the Japanese Imperial Army fought together in battles against the British forces.India is the largest recipient of Japanese official development assistance (ODA).
Political relations between the two nations have remained warm since India's independence. Japanese companies, such as Sony, Toyota, and Honda, have manufacturing facilities in India, and with the growth of the Indian economy, India is a big market for Japanese firms. Japanese firms were, in fact, some of the first firms to invest in India. The most prominent Japanese company to have an investment in India is automobiles giant Suzuki, which is in partnership with Indian automobiles company Maruti Suzuki, the largest car manufacturer in the Indian market and a subsidiary of the Japanese company.
In December 2006, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan culminated in the signing of the "Joint Statement Towards Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership". Japan has funded many infrastructure projects in India, most notably the Delhi Metro system. Also, in the year 2007, the Japanese Self-Defence Forces took part in a naval exercise in the Indian Ocean, known as Malabar 2007, which also involved the naval forces of India, Australia, Singapore and the United States. The year 2007 was declared "India-Japan Friendship Year."
According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, 42% of Japanese people view India positively, with only 4% expressing a negative view.
Prime Minister visit to Japan - 2013
Highlights
The main message covered by PM during his range of activities in Tokyo is that India looks forward to expanding the strategic and global partnership with Japan.This covers political exchanges, economic interactions and strategic affairs.
On Tuesday, March 26, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Fumio Kishida held the Seventh Japan-India Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Mr. Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India, during the latter’s visit to Japan.The two Ministers affirmed that Japan and India will continue to move forward with talks on this issue of Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation.Minister Kishida expressed his intention to hold the second round of the Japan-India Cyber Dialogue and the Japan-India Maritime Affairs Dialogue within this year.
India and Japan have agreed to institutionalize bilateral naval exercises, to conduct them regularly and with increased frequency.
The Japanese Government has offered to sell the US-2 amphibious aircraft to India.Japan’s unwavering support for India’s development process, and the DMIC, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, and now what is emerging as a new area of cooperation which is the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor are all symbols of this commitment of Japan.
Co-finance a joint feasibility study on the possible introduction of high-speed railways or Shinkansen on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route in India.
India and Japan are also cooperating in the field of rare earths. A government-to-government memorandum was signed by the Ambassador last November and it is already in place. Companies from India and Japan – the Indian Rare Earths Limited and Toyota Tsusho – are negotiating the sale of rare earth oxide.
The Genesis programme under which Prime Minister Abe said he would like to have more than a thousand young Indian people come and visit Japan
Japan’s contribution to the Nalanda University, which is coming up, through the Faculty of Peace Studies .
On Tuesday, March 26, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Fumio Kishida held the Seventh Japan-India Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Mr. Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India, during the latter’s visit to Japan.The two Ministers affirmed that Japan and India will continue to move forward with talks on this issue of Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation.Minister Kishida expressed his intention to hold the second round of the Japan-India Cyber Dialogue and the Japan-India Maritime Affairs Dialogue within this year.
India and Japan have agreed to institutionalize bilateral naval exercises, to conduct them regularly and with increased frequency.
The Japanese Government has offered to sell the US-2 amphibious aircraft to India.Japan’s unwavering support for India’s development process, and the DMIC, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, and now what is emerging as a new area of cooperation which is the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor are all symbols of this commitment of Japan.
Co-finance a joint feasibility study on the possible introduction of high-speed railways or Shinkansen on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route in India.
India and Japan are also cooperating in the field of rare earths. A government-to-government memorandum was signed by the Ambassador last November and it is already in place. Companies from India and Japan – the Indian Rare Earths Limited and Toyota Tsusho – are negotiating the sale of rare earth oxide.
The Genesis programme under which Prime Minister Abe said he would like to have more than a thousand young Indian people come and visit Japan
Japan’s contribution to the Nalanda University, which is coming up, through the Faculty of Peace Studies .
Prime Minister Singh appreciated the pledge by Prime Minister Abe for the Campus Development Project of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (Phase 2) for 17.7 billion yen and the “Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Programme” for 13 billion yen.
More Info : Joint Statement on Prime Minister's visit to Japan
