Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, travelled on a bullet train to Sendai on the second day of his Japan visit on Saturday. During the trip, PM Modi also interacted with Indian train drivers who are undergoing training at the East Japan Railway Company. 

Sharing the moment on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “Reached Sendai. Travelled with PM Ishiba to this city on the Shinkansen.”

They also observed the new ALFA-X train during their journey, with the chairman of East Japan Railway Company, commonly known as JR East, briefing them about its features. 

Indian train drivers greet PM Modi in Japan

Before the ride, several Indian train drivers undergoing training with JR East in Japan lined up to greet PM Modi. He interacted with them, posed for photographs and encouraged their efforts.

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Earlier in the day, PM Modi also held a meeting in Tokyo with governors of sixteen Japanese prefectures. According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the Prime Minister emphasised the vast potential for collaboration between Indian states and Japanese prefectures, urging concrete steps under the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative announced during the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit.

Sharing photos from the interaction, PM Modi posted on X, “Cooperation between states and prefectures is an important pillar in the friendship between India and Japan. Therefore, at the 15th India-Japan Summit held yesterday, an initiative on this inter-regional cooperation was launched.”

He further highlighted that there is significant scope to cooperate in trade, innovation, entrepreneurship, and emerging sectors such as startups, technology, and artificial intelligence.

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Visit to semiconductor and bullet train coach plants

PM Modi is also scheduled to visit major industrial sites, including a semiconductor plant and a bullet train coach manufacturing facility in Sendai. The semiconductor plant, located in Miyagi Prefecture’s Second Northern Sendai Central Industrial Park in Ohira Village, is being developed by Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) in collaboration with SBI Holdings and Japanese partners under the joint venture Japan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (JSMC). The project marks one of Japan’s most ambitious efforts to revive its semiconductor industry.

PM Modi’s visit to the facility underscores the growing India-Japan cooperation on economic security, with both nations focusing on critical areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and clean energy.

PM Modi said in a tweet that he, along with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, visited the Tokyo Electron Factory where they toured the Training Room and Production Innovation Lab and held discussions with senior officials. “PM Ishiba and I visited the Tokyo Electron Factory. We went to the Training Room, Production Innovation Lab and interacted with top officials of the company,” he wrote.

Adding to that, he said, “The semiconductor sector is a key area for India-Japan cooperation. In the last few years, India has made many strides in this sector. A lot of youngsters are getting associated with it as well. We seek to continue this momentum in the times to come.”