Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing reception on his arrival in Sendai on Saturday, as locals and members of the Indian community cheered “Welcome to Japan, Modi San!” and gathered in large numbers to greet him.
PM Modi warmly interacted with the crowd, especially children who lined up to extend their greetings. The visit was further marked by a symbolic gesture of friendship, as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba personally accompanied him on a Shinkansen bullet train journey from Tokyo to Sendai.
The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the moment as a reflection of the deepening partnership between the two countries. “A journey of friendship and progress. In a unique gesture symbolising the warmth of the India-Japan friendship, PM Narendra Modi and PM Shigeru Ishiba travelled together to Sendai,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.
During his visit to Sendai, PM Modi will tour key industrial facilities, including a semiconductor manufacturing plant and a bullet-train coach production site. The semiconductor project, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is being developed by Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC), Japan’s SBI Holdings, and other partners under the joint venture Japan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (JSMC).
The plant, situated in the Second Northern Sendai Central Industrial Park, represents one of Japan’s largest initiatives to revive its domestic chip industry. It will focus on 12-inch semiconductor wafers, starting with 40-nanometre technology and expanding to 28 nm and 55 nm nodes, catering primarily to the growing automotive electronics sector.
Economic security forms a key pillar of India-Japan ties, with cooperation extending to semiconductors, AI, clean energy, and critical minerals. For India, this collaboration strengthens access to advanced technology, boosts supply-chain resilience, and opens fresh investment opportunities, reinforcing the strategic partnership.
