PM Modi Embarks On First Standalone Japan Visit In Seven Years; To Attend India-Japan Annual Summit

PM Narendra Modi departed from New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day official visit to Japan, scheduled from August 29 to 30, to attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit.

This marks his first standalone visit to Japan in nearly seven years. The visit comes at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Focus on Strengthening Strategic Partnership

Ahead of his departure, PM Modi said India and Japan would focus on the ‘next phase’ of their Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which has made steady progress over the past 11 months.

He stressed that both nations would expand economic and investment ties, advance cooperation in emerging technologies like AI and semiconductors, and strengthen civilizational bonds.

During the summit, PM Modi and PM Ishiba will review bilateral ties, assess progress in multiple sectors, and exchange views on regional and global issues.

The leaders are expected to launch new initiatives to build resilience in the India-Japan partnership and address emerging global challenges. The program also includes a visit outside Tokyo.

PM Modi will meet Japanese political leaders, Friends of India in Japan, and attend a business leaders’ forum with captains of Japanese and Indian industry. These engagements aim to deepen trade, investment, and technology cooperation.

Japan Visit Followed by China Trip

Following the Japan visit, PM Modi will travel to China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

This visit marks PM Modi’s eighth trip to Japan since 2014, reflecting the high priority India places on this partnership. In the past, bilateral ties have seen several milestones, including:

• PM Shinzo Abe’s 2007 ‘Confluence of the Two Seas’ speech in India.
• The 2013 visit of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
• PM Abe’s role as the Republic Day Chief Guest in 2014.
• Multiple visits by PM Kishida, including pledges of JPY 5 trillion in investment (2022) and major funding for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project (2023).
• PM Modi’s unveiling of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Hiroshima during the 2023 G7 Summit.

The two leaders recently met at the Quad Summit in Wilmington (September 2025) and at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane (October 2024).

PM Ishiba also called PM Modi in April 2025 to express condolences after the Pahalgam terror attack, showcasing their personal rapport.

Strong Trade and Investment Ties

Bilateral trade between India and Japan reached USD 22.8 billion in 2023-24, with Japan being India’s fifth-largest source of FDI.

Cumulative Japanese investment stood at USD 43.2 billion up to December 2024. Around 1,400 Japanese companies with nearly 5,000 establishments operate in India, while over 100 Indian firms are active in Japan.

Both nations are now expanding cooperation in semiconductors, startups, clean energy, supply chain resilience, industrial competitiveness, and skill development.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this visit would consolidate India’s long-standing friendship with Japan, open new avenues of cooperation, and reaffirm a shared commitment to peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

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