Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a ride on Japan’s iconic bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday morning. This trip underscores the deepening cooperation between New Delhi and Tokyo in high-speed rail technology, officials said.
Japan is helping India in the development of the first high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Japan is also expected to send two bullet train rakes to India for trials.
The two PMs travelled from Tokyo to Sendai. PM Ishiba posted photographs of the ride on X and wrote: “With Prime Minister Modi to Sendai,” and noted their joint observation of the advanced train model.
The two leaders keenly watched the country’s next-generation ALFA-X prototype, with a detailed briefing provided by J R East’s chairman. Prime Minister Modi also interacted with Indian train drivers undergoing specialized training in Japan, a step that reflects growing collaboration in skill development and technology transfer.
Earlier in Tokyo, PM Modi met the governors of 16 Japanese prefectures, stressing the importance of subnational partnerships under the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
“This morning in Tokyo, interacted with the governors of 16 prefectures of Japan. State-prefecture cooperation is a vital pillar of India-Japan friendship. This is also why a separate initiative on it was launched during the 15th Annual India-Japan Summit yesterday,” Prime Minister Modi posted on X.
The Ministry of External Affairs also described the meeting as a step forward in the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative launched during the 15th Annual India-Japan Summit. It said Modi urged governors to work closely with Indian states to explore opportunities in innovation, entrepreneurship, and future-facing sectors.