Japan India Association Article

Contemporary India Forum Quarterly Review, 2019

Abstract: The paper is an analysis of cultural interactions between India and Japan during the period from eighth century AD to nineteenth century AD. These interactions have been succinctly summarised in the opening paragraph of History of Japanese-Indian Relations on Ministry of External Affairs (MOFA) web site as ‘Indian culture, filtered through Buddhism, has had a great impact on Japanese culture and thought, and this is the source of the Japanese people's sense of closeness with India’. The objective of the paper is to seek some understanding of processes and agencies that enabled Indian culture to filter through Buddhism, and make the stated ‘great impact’ on Japanese culture and become a source of ‘sense of closeness’. The aim of analysis is to decipher distinctive features of processes and agencies that made their functioning effective. It is noted that the aim of the programme ‘enhancing people-to-people contacts (an important component of India-Japan bilateral programme)’ is also to create a ‘sense of closeness’ and, therefore, the findings of analysis may inform that programme too.

India-Japan Narratives: Lesser Known Historical & Cultural Interactions , 2021

Dialogues between India and Japan invariably refer to long history of contacts between the two countries dating back to the visit to Japan of Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhisena, in the eighth century AD. The preamble to Japan-India relations on the web site of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOF) of Japan formulates that historical connect as:-'Indian culture, filtered through Buddhism, has had a great impact on Japanese culture and is the source of Japanese people's sense of closeness to India'. 2 The formulation implies centuries of continuity of cultural interactions between India and Japan. Bodhisena's visit to Japan in the eight century A.D. is considered as first cultural contact between India and Japan mediated by people-to-people contact 3. In the then prevailing Buddhism oriented milieu in Japan the peopleto-people contact triggered interaction of a philosophical and spiritual cultural construct between India and Japan. 4 Tokubei Tenjiku visit to India about ten

Japan's defeat in August 1945 marks a watershed in the world history and a turning point for the Asian people. But, so far as Indian historiography of prewar-Japan is concerned, it does not indicate any defi nitive break. Actually, the Indian interest in Japan, with a century-old history stretching back to colonial period, is of a very complex nature. Though India did not directly face Japanese aggression, it suffered on account of British exploitation and colonization. As a result, Indian assessment of Japanese imperialism and colonialism is even harsher than that of the British. At the same time, Japan's victory over Russia and the daring fi ght against the West had generated a sense of pride and kinship among the contemporary Indians, many of whom turned to Japan for India's liberation. To top it all, there is the eternal Buddhist connection pervading both academic and non-academic forums of India-Japan relations. Hence, while analyzing Japan, the Indians often tend to oscillate between these two juxtaposed situations. Despite these inherent complexities, the Indian thinking on Japan has today articulated partly because of Japan's increasing international recognition, and partly due to the systematic and sustained efforts of the Area Study scholars working on Japan. As a result, the Indian studies of Japan have come out of its infancy and attained maturity as evidenced by a wide range of publications, both general and academic, covering almost every aspect of Japan, ranging from its history, politics, economics, culture, international relations, technology and management. However, despite this diversifi ed interest, there are some common concerns and approaches that bind much of the research together. The same is true with the historiography of prewar Japan. To show the extent of continuity, or of change, in the Indian analysis of pre-1945 Japan, I have selected a few works delving into certain specifi c issues and themes which unite the authors both from the prewar and postwar periods. In case of India, the periodization corresponds to colonial and post-colonial periods. A. COLONIAL PERIOD WRITINGS The early writings were by the people who, impressed by a fellow Asian country's swift rise, travelled to Japan to learn the secrets of its modernization. By the early decades of the 20 th century, several enterprising entrepreneurs, educated men and offi cials from several parts of India had visited Japan.

I examine what information (both English and Dutch) played a role in sending out the EIC's 8th Voyage, which finally reached Japan. I shortly survey general information, then I reconstruct a specific chain of events related with this information. I argue that the managers sent out the mentioned voyage after they had received news on the presence of William Adams (the 'First Englishman in Japan') in the country.

Asian Affairs, 2017

World Focus, 2018

India’s ‘Act East’ foreign policy is providing much momentum to the country’s growing relations with East, South and Southeast Asia. This “extended neighbourhood” policy has Japan playing a very critical role economically as well as strategically. If India wants to play a “balancing act” in Asia keeping in mind China’s growing assertiveness, it is important to analysis the scope and potential of India-Japan cooperation. In this regard the paper will first provide a brief historical base underpinning the relationship. Then it will critically examine various avenues for cooperation, based on common stakes and concerns, which are driving the relationship forward. Issues such as contesting Chinese claims in the Indian Ocean, Africa and building ports in strategic locations have profound economic, strategic and geopolitical implications for both the countries. In this context, the paper will present an assessment of the initiatives taken so far and what may lie in the path ahead.

nippon.com, 2019

Narendra Modi has embarked on his second term as India's prime minister, following a convincing victory in May's elections. In this article, a leading specialist on South Asian affairs argues that Japan is wrong to focus exclusively on economic cooperation in its relations with India, and should no longer turn a blind eye to the dangerous side of Modi's Hindu supremacist project. Against most expectations, Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party won a convincing victory in the general elections in India in May this year. The response from the Japanese government and business leaders has been overwhelmingly positive, and Prime Minister Abe Shinzō lost no time in sending his congratulations becoming the first foreign leader to do so. A report in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper on May 24 quoted a senior figure involved in Japan's foreign policy as saying that the next five years promised to be an ideal period for building a closer Home  In-depth  Japan and India: Looking Beyond the Economy A Self-archived copy in Kyoto University Research Information Repository https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp relationship between Japan and India in fields such as national security and economic cooperation. Personally, I predict that the BJP government is settling in for a long period (Nakamizo 2019). In this essay, both as a Japanese citizen and as a specialist in Indian studies, I want to consider the relations between the BJP government and Japan and to examine some of the questions affecting how Japan should position itself in relation to the BJP government.

This e-book is a compilation of the papers presented by the speakers during a two-day International Conference, curated around the theme ‘India and Japan: Growing Partnership and Opportunities for Cooperation’, organised by CPPR – Centre for Strategic Studies, Kochi in collaboration with the Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai on February 26–27, 2019 at Riviera Suites in Kochi. It consists of eight chapters providing a comprehensive outlook on India-Japan relations.