Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently took a bullet train from Tokyo to Sendai with his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba. Both leaders shared photos of their journey on social media. Ishiba posted on X, “With Prime Minister Modi to Sendai. Continuing from last night, I’m accompanying him from inside the car.”
Upon their arrival in Sendai, the two leaders met with Indian loco pilots who are training at the East Japan Railway Company, also known as “JR East.” They also had the opportunity to see the new ALFA-X train and received a briefing from the chairman of JR East.
Key Meetings and Agreements
PM Modi’s visit to Sendai, part of the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, included tours of significant industrial sites. These included a semiconductor plant and a bullet-train coach manufacturing facility. The semiconductor plant is a new wafer fabrication site being developed by Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) of Taiwan in partnership with SBI Holdings and other Japanese companies. The joint venture, known as the Japan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (JSMC), is located in Ohira Village and is a key part of Japan’s efforts to revitalize its chip-making industry.
This visit highlights the close cooperation between India and Japan on matters of economic security, including semiconductors, AI, critical minerals, and clean energy.
During his two-day visit, PM Modi and Japanese leaders adopted a joint vision titled “India – Japan Joint Vision for the Next Decade: Eight Directions to Steer the Special Strategic and Global Partnership”. They also signed a joint declaration on security cooperation.
A significant agreement was the implementing arrangement for the Chandrayaan-5 mission, a joint lunar polar exploration project between the space agencies of both countries. Before traveling to Sendai, PM Modi also held discussions with the governors of 16 prefectures in Japan. Following his visit to Japan, PM Modi is scheduled to travel to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
