Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will make her first official visit to India on July 1, 2026, Japan’s ambassador to New Delhi, Ono Keiichi, announced, even as he moved to reassure Assam after plans for a stop in Guwahati were dropped. The visit will include a summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a major Japan–India economic forum with business leaders, the ambassador said, framing the trip as a new chapter in bilateral ties.
Keiichi posted on X that “Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae is coming to New Delhi on 1 July!” and added that on her first visit as prime minister she will meet PM Narendra Modi and attend a large economic forum with Japan–India business leaders. The announcement came days after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the annual India–Japan summit, earlier expected in Guwahati, would instead be held in New Delhi-ending Assam’s hope of hosting a Japanese prime minister for the first time in the Northeast.
Hours before the public announcement, Ambassador Keiichi phoned Chief Minister Sarma to reiterate Tokyo’s commitment to the state. Sarma said on X that Keiichi reaffirmed Japan’s support for strengthening ties with Assam under India’s Act East Policy. “We agreed to further strengthen our collaboration across key sectors including electronics, semiconductor, infrastructure, manufacturing and entrepreneurship,” Sarma wrote, noting Assam looks forward to greater engagement with Japanese companies and institutions.
Responding to Sarma, Keiichi thanked the chief minister and said he anticipated “further strengthening the partnership between Japan and Assam through closer cooperation.” The cancellation of the Guwahati stop drew disappointment locally; Sarma said the Assam government was informed but no specific reason was given, while reports pointed to scheduling and logistical considerations.
The shift in itinerary recalled 2019, when then–Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe scrapped a planned Guwahati visit amid protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Despite losing the chance to host the summit again, the ambassador’s outreach signals Tokyo’s intent to keep engagement with Assam on track, particularly in semiconductors, electronics, infrastructure and manufacturing-sectors central to India–Japan economic cooperation.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/japan-pm-takaichi-to-visit-new-delhi-july-1-envoy-reaffirms-ties-with-assam/articleshow/132017346.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-06-26 18:53:00
