Japan-India Relations

 Japan-India Relations

history

Exchange between Japan and India is said to have begun in the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to 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.

Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant

After World War II, in 1949, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. This brought a ray of light into the lives of the Japanese people who still had not recovered from defeat in the war. 

peace treaty and established diplomatic

Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28th April, 1952. This treaty was one of the first peace treaties Japan signed after World War II.

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 helped a great deal Japan's recovery from the devastation. 

Following Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi's visit to India in 1957, Japan started providing yen loans to India in 1958, as the first yen loan aid extended by Japanese government.

recently 

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s visit 

to India in August 2000 provided the momentum to strengthen the Japan-India relationship.

 Mr. Mori and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee decided the establishment of "Global Partnership between Japan and India". 

Since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit

to India in April 2005, Japan-India annual summit meetings have been held in respective capitals.

 When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan 

in December 2006, Japan-India relationship was elevated to the "Global and Strategic Partnership".

 In September 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

paid an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

 They concurred to upgrade the bilateral relationship to “Special Strategic and Global Partnership.” 

In December 2015, Prime Minister Abe 

paid an official visit to India and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The two Prime Ministers resolved to transform the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership into a deep, broad-based and action-oriented partnership, which reflects a broad convergence of their long-term political, economic and strategic goals. 

They announced “Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Region and the World”, a joint statement that would serve as a guide post for the “new era in Japan-India relations.”

In November 2016, Prime Minister Modi

paid an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Abe.

 In the Japan-India Vision Statement issued during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Japan in October 2018, two leaders reiterated their unwavering commitment to working together towards a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

In September 2021, Prime Minister Suga, 

who was visiting Washington D.C. for the Second Japan-Australia-India-U.S. Summit Meeting, held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Modi. 

In October 2021, Prime Minister Kishida

held a summit telephone talk with Prime Minister Modi, soon after Prime Minister Kishida’s taking office. 

The two leaders concurred to further develop Japan-India relations and work closely toward the realisation of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

Cooperation in Security Fields

During Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Japan

in October 2008, two leaders issued "the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India".

 There are also various frameworks of security and defense dialogue between Japan and India including

•  Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (“2+2” meeting), 
• annual Defense Ministerial Dialogue and
•  Coast Guard-to-Coast Guard dialogue. 
• In November 2019, the first ”2+2” meeting was held in New Delhi.

 ACSA

On September 9th 2020, the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense 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 11th, 2021

Economic Relations

In recent years, economic relationship between Japan and India have steadily expanded and deepened. 

The volume of trade between the two countries has increased. India was the 18th largest trading partner for Japan, and Japan was the 12th largest trading partner for India in 2020. 

Also, direct investment from Japan to India has been increased, and Japan was the 4th largest investor for India in FY2020. Japanese private-sector's interest in India is rising, and, currently, about 1,455 Japanese companies have branches in India.

At recent summit meetings, two leaders reconfirmed commitment to synergizing India’s demographic dividend and Japan’s capital and technology to realize the true potential of the Japan-India economic partnership for a prosperous future.

 In this regard, two leaders welcomed the agreement to conclude a Bilateral Swap Arrangement of USD 75 billion, the launching of a comprehensive Japan-India Digital Partnership, and other cooperation and initiatives

Economic Assistance

India has been the largest recipient of Japanese ODA Loan for the past decades. 

Delhi Metro is one of the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation through the utilization of ODA. 

Japan continues to cooperate in supporting strategic connectivity linking South Asia to Southeast Asia through the synergy between ''Act East'' policy and ''Partnership for Quality Infrastructure.''

Besides, Japan and India had committed to build High-Speed Railway in India by introducing Japan’s Shinkansen System, which is the flagship project of Japan-India relation.

• Loan: 356.30 billion yen (FY 2020)
• Grants: 5.02 billion yen (FY 2020)
• Technical Cooperation: 8.7 billion yen (FY 2019)

Cultural Relations

The year 2012 marked the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India. 

Various cultural events took place both in Japan and in India to promote mutual understanding between the two countries, under the theme of “Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India: New Perspectives, New Exchanges.”

During the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Japan in November 2016, the two Prime Ministers declared the year 2017 the Year of Japan-India Friendly Exchanges to further enhance people-to-people exchanges between Japan and India. The year 2017 also marked the 60th anniversary since the Cultural Agreement came into force in 1957. Various commemorating events took place in both countries.

Number of Residents

• Number of Japanese nationals residing in India: 9,239 (as of October, 2020)
• Number of Indian nationals residing in Japan: 39,764 (as of December, 2020)

Bilateral Treaties and Agreements

• Treaty of Peace (1952)
• Agreement for Air Service (1956)
• Cultural Agreement (1957)
• Agreement of Commerce (1958)
• Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (1960)
• Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology (1985)
• Japan-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (2011)
• Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India Concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology (2015)
• Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India Concerning Security Measures for the Protection of Classified Military Information (2015)
• Agreement between Japan and the Republic of India on Social Security (2016)
• Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (2017)
• Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of India Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (2021)