GRAND SUCCESS OF JAPAN-INDIA
FRIENDSHIP YEAR 2007

The Japan-India Friendship Year was held in 2007 to expand people-to-people exchanges and to
deepen the mutual understanding between Japan and India. Nearly 400 events were held in
both countries in 2007 and the first quarter in 2008

Background

    It was during the summit meeting held in New Delhi in April 2005 that the then Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Junichiro Koizumi and the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh agreed on an Eight-fold Initiative for strengthening the Japan-India Global Partnership. One of the important agendas of this Eight-fold Initiative was to hold the Japan-India Friendship Year 2007 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Cultural Agreement between Japan and India in 1957. The Japanese side arranged ‘Japan Year in India’ during 2007 and around 250 events of the Japan Year were organized in different cities all over India.

Japan-India historical and cultural ties- one year long lecture series

    The theme of the Friendship Year was historical and cultural ties between Japan and India from the introduction of Buddhism in Japan up to the present times. In order to overview the historical and cultural ties between the two countries, a year-long series of lectures on Japan-India Relations was held in cooperation with the India International Centre, featuring eminent speakers from Japan and India. One lecture was held every month beginning from January 2007, and the series concluded last December with an address by Mr. Osamu Suzuki, Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan at the FICCI auditorium.

Lecture Series at the India International Centre

Variety of cultural events

    Touching upon some of the cultural events, mega cultural events such as the traditional Noh Theatre performance, Takarazuka Revue, and Ryukyuan Dance, were arranged in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the National School of Drama, and the Japan Foundation New Delhi. They were very well received and turned out to be grand successes. Some other highlights of the Friendship Year were Taiko performance, Japanese Food Festival, Ikebana and Bonsai Exhibitions and Workshops, the photo exhibition on Japan-India relations, Japan Cultural Festivals arranged by schools and universities, the 2nd All India Conference on Promotion of Japanese Language, Japanese Film Festivals, Japanese Tea Ceremony,

Tsugaru-Shamisen Concert at the Ambassador's Residence