PM Modi arrives in Japan for two-day visit: What's on agenda?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo on Friday morning. (Image: X/@narendramodi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday landed in Tokyo for a two-day official visit to Japan. He received a warm welcome upon his arrival, with Japanese artists showcasing cultural performances and even reciting Gayatri Mantra.

PM Modi took to X and posted, "Landed in Tokyo. As India and Japan continue to strengthen their developmental cooperation, I look forward to engaging with PM Ishiba and others during this visit, thus providing an opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues of collaboration."

Landed in Tokyo. As India and Japan continue to strengthen their developmental cooperation, I look forward to engaging with PM Ishiba and others during this visit, thus providing an opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues of collaboration.… pic.twitter.com/UPwrHtdz3B

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2025

Ahead of his visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told the reporters that "Prime Minister Modi is embarking on an official visit to Japan on the evening of 28th August. He will be in Japan on 29th and 30th August to hold the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with the Prime Minister of Japan, His Excellency Shigeru Ishiba."

What's on the agenda?

The visit holds significance as it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first annual summit with his Japanese counterpart Ishiba. It is also his first standalone visit to Japan in nearly 7 years.

PM Modi last visited Japan for the annual summit in 2018. Since then, he has visited Japan, but that has been for multilateral engagements and other ceremonial events.

Vikram Misri added that the visit will be fully dedicated to the bilateral agenda between the two countries. This is PM Narendra Modi's eighth visit to Japan since he took office in 2014.

"The annual summit between India and Japan represents the highest level dialogue mechanism that exists between the two countries and it drives the agenda of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership," the foreign secretary added.

PM Narendra Modi last met PM Ishiba in June 2025 in Kananaskis, Canada, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. "India and Japan are two countries that share values, trust and strategic outlook on several issues. They are Asia's two leading democracies and amongst the world's top five economies," Misri said.

The India-Japan Annual Summit will give both prime ministers the opportunity to conduct an in-depth review of ties in various sectors, such as trade and investment, defence and security, and science and technology.

Both leaders are expected to assess progress made in the last few years across multiple domains and exchange views on important regional and global issues, Misri said.

PM Modi along with his counterpart Ishiba is expected to take a tour of Tokyo Electron Factory, the famed Japanese electronics and semiconductor company headquartered in Akasaka.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has announced that the two leaders will also travel to Miyagi Prefecture on 30 August to inspect the Tohoku Shinkansen plant in Sendai.

The leaders are expected to sign an agreement on the introduction of Japanese E-10 coaches, to be transferred to India in 2030 for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail or the ‘Bullet Train’ project, according to a report by the Mint.

PM Narendra Modi is also scheduled likely to hold discussions on matters related to the Quad group and enhancing security and peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Both India and Japan are members of the Quad along with the United States and Australia.

From Japan, PM Modi will fly to China for the summit of the regional security bloc Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), his first visit to China in more than seven years.