India

Modi Meets Akie Abe, Highlights Shinzo Abe’s Role in India‑Japan Ties

By HT News Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Akie Abe, the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on Thursday and spoke about her late husband’s contribution to strengthening India‑Japan relations. Modi said Shinzo Abe was a close friend and a visionary leader who helped elevate the bilateral relationship to new heights. He also praised the newly inaugurated Shinzo Abe Memorial Corridor at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi as a fitting tribute to Abe’s lasting impact on the friendship between the two countries.

In a post on X, Modi wrote, "Pleased to meet Mrs Akie Abe, wife of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Deeply value her enduring association with India. Abe San was a dear friend and a visionary leader who played a defining role in elevating India‑Japan relations to new heights. The inauguration of the Abe Memorial Corridor at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi yesterday is a fitting tribute to his lasting contribution to India‑Japan friendship."

Abe responded on X, saying the warmth she felt during the meeting brought back strong emotions. She added, "Meeting with Prime Minister Modi, the warmth I felt today once again made my tears flow uncontrollably. To strengthen the bonds between Japan and India even further, I want to do whatever I can. My husband must surely have been there with us…"

The meeting followed a day earlier when Akie Abe and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath jointly inaugurated the Shinzo Abe Memorial Corridor at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre in Varanasi. The venue, located in Modi’s parliamentary constituency, was built with Japanese assistance and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in 2021.

At the inauguration, Akie Abe expressed gratitude for the memorial and said she was deeply moved by the tribute to her late husband. She recalled Shinzo Abe’s 2015 visit to Varanasi with Modi, when he witnessed the Ganga Aarti, and noted her long wish to visit the city herself. She also highlighted cultural links between Varanasi and Kyoto, mentioning that both are ancient cities and that Varanasi was historically known as Kashi. She referred to the 108 symbolic rudrakshas incorporated into the convention centre’s design, drawing a connection with Buddhist traditions in Japan, where temple bells are rung 108 times on New Year’s Eve.

Yogi Adityanath said the memorial corridor represented the strategic, diplomatic and cultural ties between India and Japan. He credited Shinzo Abe with playing an important role in deepening bilateral relations and highlighted Japan’s contribution to India’s infrastructure, technology, transportation and economic development. He noted that around 1,400 Japanese companies currently operate in India and pointed to Japanese participation in major projects, including the Mumbai‑Ahmedabad rail corridor and metro networks. He also mentioned a 500‑acre ‘Japan City’ being developed near Jewar Airport in Uttar Pradesh to encourage Japanese investment. A dedicated Yamanashi Desk has been established at Invest UP to facilitate investment from Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture, with both sides working on a green hydrogen pilot project.

Shinzo Abe, who served as Japan’s prime minister for two terms, was assassinated in July 2022. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second‑highest civilian honour, in 2021. The Rudraksh Convention Centre remains a prominent symbol of India‑Japan cooperation, with a gallery featuring photographs from Abe’s 2015 Varanasi visit when he accompanied Modi to the Ganga Aarti. India and Japan will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi congratulated PM Modi on Wednesday for completing 25 years in public life.