2007 visit to Japan: When PM Modi stepped into cockpit of Bullet Train; old pics resurface

NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo on Friday for the India-Japan Economic Forum , Modi Archive, which narrates his life through archival records, recalled his first visit to the country in 2007, when he was Gujarat chief minister .

In April 2007, PM Modi had embarked on a six-day visit to Japan, leading a 40-member delegation of bureaucrats and industry leaders. His mission: to showcase Gujarat as India’s gateway for investment in industry, infrastructure, and innovation.

Traveling through Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kobe, PM Modi courted corporate heavyweights including Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, Suzuki, Toshiba, Nippon Steel, and Tsuneshi Shipbuilding. The trip resulted in MoUs between JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) and Gujarat’s Industries Department.

"Ports, logistics, infrastructure and human resource development were on the table at the Japan Chambers of Commerce and Industries and Indo-Japan Friendship Forum, with Gujarat pitching itself as the natural entry point for Japan into India’s growth story," wrote Modi Archives on X.

Perhaps the most iconic moment of the visit came when @narendramodi stepped into the cockpit of a Japanese Bullet Train. What if such high-speed rail transformed Indian connectivity? That seed of an idea in 2007 would blossom years later into the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train… pic.twitter.com/Z0xnvl2Ycp

— Modi Archive (@modiarchive) August 29, 2025

A key highlight was PM Modi’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, where the two leaders discussed the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). PM Modi presented Abe with a CD on Gujarat’s Buddhist heritage and a handwoven tribal shawl, inviting him to visit the state. In return, Abe assured Japan’s full support for Gujarat’s segment of the DMIC, cementing a foundation for deeper Indo-Japan economic and cultural ties.

"Perhaps the most iconic moment of the visit came when he stepped into the cockpit of a Japanese Bullet Train . What if such high-speed rail transformed Indian connectivity? That seed of an idea in 2007 would blossom years later into the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, the flagship of Indo-Japanese cooperation.

In July 2012, @narendramodi returned to Japan, this time not merely as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, but as a leader whose reputation had begun to transcend state boundaries. His five-day visit from 22–27 July was at the formal invitation of the Government of Japan - a rare honour,… pic.twitter.com/icrBSdM4zJ

— Modi Archive (@modiarchive) August 29, 2025

In April 2007, PM Modi walked through Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, pausing at the Prayer of the Fountain and the Suzuki Miekichi Literary Monument. Later in Kobe, he joined a cultural programme at The India Club, a historic hub for the Indian diaspora since 1904. That visit planted the seeds of deeper business and cultural ties between Gujarat and Japan.

By July 2012, PM Modi returned on a much larger stage. Invited formally by the Government of Japan for a five-day tour (22–27 July), he was accorded a Cabinet-rank reception — an honour rarely extended to a state leader. It was the 60th anniversary of India–Japan diplomatic ties, and PM Modi’s packed itinerary covered 44 engagements across Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe.

PM Modi had met key Japanese ministers — Koichiro Gemba (Foreign Affairs), Yukio Edano (Trade & Industry), Yuchiro Hata (Infrastructure & Transport), and Deputy PM Katsuya Okada — along with governors Hideaki Omura of Aichi and Toshizo Ido of Hyogo. At JETRO’s investment seminars, he pitched Gujarat as an investor-friendly, power-surplus state, emphasizing ports, logistics, and industrial corridors.

As in 2007, the Shinkansen bullet train was more than just transportation - it was an inspiration. @narendramodi travelled on the Hikari line from Tokyo to Hamamatsu, discussing possibilities for the Ahmedabad–Mumbai–Pune high-speed rail and the Ahmedabad–Dholera Metro. His focus… pic.twitter.com/Wl0Ojoz0Fw

— Modi Archive (@modiarchive) August 29, 2025

Business diplomacy was central: PM Modi had held extensive meetings with corporate leaders, including a landmark session with Osamu Suzuki, Chairman of Suzuki Motors. Touring facilities and sharing lunch with him, Modi pitched Gujarat as Asia’s next automotive hub. Round-tables at Mizuho Corporate Bank and the Imperial Hotel deepened corporate ties further.

Infrastructure was another highlight. Riding the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hamamatsu, PM Modi explored possibilities for high-speed rail and metro projects in Gujarat, focusing on Japan’s model of speed, efficiency, and safety. At Kobe Port, he studied maritime systems that could guide Gujarat’s own port expansion, reaffirming the state’s centrality in the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).

The Japanese establishment was impressed, but so too was its media. The country’s largest business daily, Nikkei, ran a 742-word feature describing @narendramodi as a “business-friendly leader” and even calling him “a strong contender for India’s Prime Ministership in 2014.”… pic.twitter.com/OTaCdROCXS

— Modi Archive (@modiarchive) August 29, 2025

Cultural outreach balanced the diplomacy. PM Modi had addressed the Gujarat Samaj of Japan, met members of the India Centre Foundation, and was honoured at a reception hosted by HCCI Chairman Mimuro. At Kobe’s India Club, he engaged with the diaspora and even took a symbolic boat ride at the port.