Did PM Modi Travel to Sendai with Japanese PM Ishiba on the Shinkansen?

Tokyo, Aug 30 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down in Sendai, Japan, on Saturday, where he rode the famous Shinkansen (bullet train) with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Sharing moments from the trip on the social media platform X, PM Modi expressed: “Arrived in Sendai. Journeyed with PM Ishiba to this city aboard the Shinkansen.”

Upon his arrival, he was met with jubilant cheers of “Modi-san, welcome!” from members of the Indian community and local supporters, showcasing the affection and esteem held by the Japanese people.

Earlier that day, PM Modi engaged with the governors of 16 Japanese prefectures in Tokyo, highlighting the transformative potential of regional partnerships in sectors such as trade, innovation, startups, and emerging technologies.

In his post on social media, the Prime Minister stated: “This morning, I had a productive exchange of views with the governors of 16 prefectures in Japan in Tokyo. Collaboration between states and prefectures stands as a key pillar in fostering the friendship between India and Japan.”

“Thus, at the 15th India-Japan Summit held yesterday, we introduced an initiative aimed at enhancing inter-regional cooperation. There exists vast potential for collaboration in trade, innovation, entrepreneurship, and advanced domains like startups, technology, and AI, which would benefit both nations.”

This meeting was part of the wider agenda for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, where both nations initiated the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative to institutionalize and broaden sub-national collaborations.

The initiative aspires to promote direct interactions between Indian states and Japanese prefectures, creating pathways for stronger economic integration, joint innovation, skill exchange, and investment partnerships at the regional level.

During their discussions, PM Modi stressed the necessity of establishing direct linkages between Indian states and Japanese regions, particularly in technology, innovation, investment, skill development, startups, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

On Friday, India and Japan revealed the launch of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative aimed at enhancing cooperation in Large Language Models (LLMs), training, capacity building, and support for businesses and startups to nurture a reliable AI ecosystem.

Moreover, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing visit to Tokyo, both nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Digital Partnership 2.0.