India and Japan: News and Discussion

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 21 Mar 2015 16:21

A brief Japanese workshop for school children at Bodh Gaya:
http://www.aninews.in/videogallery8/351 ... ition.html

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 22 Mar 2015 18:48

Some Japanese thinking, expounded in Nepal:
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/ ... olicy.html

Most interestingly, the internationally acclaimed Professor from Japan, Kitaoka, stressed the need to abide by some universally established practices, for example, of peaceful coexistence and believe in the theory of reconciliation process.

In the process, said the Japanese academician that his country has been initiating some sort of cultural dialogue with Muslim countries so that “we both can understand each other better”.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 22 Mar 2015 18:54

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/jap ... 65862.html

Sendai: Four years after a towering tsunami ravaged much of Japan's northeastern coast, efforts to fend off future disasters are focusing on a nearly 400-kilometre chain of cement sea walls, at places nearly five stories high.

Opponents of the 820 billion yen (USD 6.8 billion) plan argue that the massive concrete barriers will damage marine ecology and scenery, hinder vital fisheries and actually do little to protect residents who are mostly supposed to relocate to higher ground.

Those in favor say the sea walls are a necessary evil, and one that will provide some jobs, at least for a time.

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Pouring concrete for public works is a staple strategy for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its backers in big business and construction, and local officials tend to go along with such plans.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 Mar 2015 17:01

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/ ... 725277.ece

CHENNAI:The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was filled on Sunday with a crowd of a different sort - Japanese bankers, engineers and professionals in sports jerseys and practising their kicks, young children in Judo costumes and their families and friends here to cheer them. The Indo-Japan Sports meet was about building friendly ties with the local community, and also about commemorating of the upcoming 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.

The now 800-strong Japanese community has increased over the past couple of years with the rapid proliferation of Japanese companies in the city, and the community is active in building ties with each other and with the local community. “I think sports is a very good way to connect with multi-cultural communities. We’ve made a lot of good friendships through such tournaments,” says Takel Daisuku, the captain and goalkeeper of JFCC, Japan’s team in Chennai. “I work in a bank on weekdays and play football throughout the weekend,” says the 31-year-old who has been in Chennai for the past 3 years.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 Mar 2015 08:13

http://www.financialexpress.com/article ... dia/56960/

After having strengthened its image as a business events destination, Japan is now aggressively focusing on positioning itself as a leisure and family destination in the India market by promoting its lesser known regions like Hokkaido in northern Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki to name a few. Speaking on the sidelines of the recently concluded ‘Visit Japan Trade Seminar’ held in Mumbai, Hideki Manabe, executive director – Singapore, Malaysia and India, Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) stated, “So far travellers to Japan have been business cum leisure but now the focus is to attract the leisure and family segment from India. Most people are usually first time visitors to Japan and they visit the Golden Route which is from Tokyo to Osaka covering Kyoto (the old capital). However, now we want to promote other regions like Hokkaido in northern Japan, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki, since many Indians are interested in the history behind these regions.”

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 Mar 2015 08:14

Japan tops in tech transfer pacts with India: RBI Survey While 133 agreements were signed with Japanese companies, 69 and 67 pacts were signed with the US and German firms respectively between 2012-2014

Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/JDaRhf ... ource=copy

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 Mar 2015 16:32

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/jap ... 67531.html

Yokohama: Japan`s Maritime Self Defense Force on Wednesday took delivery of the biggest Japanese warship since World War Two, the Izumo, a helicopter carrier as big as the Imperial Navy aircraft carriers that battled the United States in the Pacific.

The Izumo with a crew of 470 sailors is a highly visible example of how Japan is expanding the capability of its military to operate overseas and enters service as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks lawmaker approval to loosen the restraints of Japan`s pacifist post-war constitution.

The 248 metre (813 feet) long Izumo resembles U.S. Marine Corp amphibious assault carriers in size and design but it is designated as a helicopter destroyer, a label that allows Japan to keep within the bounds of a constitutional ban on owning the means to wage war. Aircraft carriers, because of their ability to project force, are considered offensive weapons.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 Mar 2015 20:50

Commentary on Japan's foreign policy:
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/2015 ... hess-game/

Just a decade ago, only fantasists would have dreamed up headlines such as “Japan, Indonesia Strengthen Defense Ties,” or “Australia-Japan Military Ties Are a ‘Quasi-Alliance.'” The common perception that Tokyo was utterly dependent on its alliance with Washington, and failed to take any initiative to reshape its security relations in Asia, was not inaccurate. No longer, however, can the changes on Asia’s geopolitical chessboard be ignored.

The driver of all this change, of course, is China. Its rapid military development, combined with a coercive approach to regional disputes, has alarmed its neighbors, particularly in Southeast Asia. Those smaller nations find themselves with limited options to protect their interests, and by default, have waited and hoped for the United States to play a larger role. Yet many of them, while welcoming the so-called U.S. “pivot” to Asia, have been disappointed with the lack of substance behind it.

Into this gap Japan has gingerly stepped. Tokyo cannot play the same security role in Asia that Washington does, nor does it want to. What it is seeking, however, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is to slowly reshape regional security relations. The goal, in effect, is to create a de facto coalition against China, so as to make Beijing temper its behavior.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Mar 2015 03:43

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 709480.cms?

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the final call on whether to invite Japan for the top-notch Malabar exercise between India and the US to be held in the Bay of Bengal later this year, which is likely to witness the participation of American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

Even as defence minister Manohar Parrikar heads for Tokyo with a top-level military delegation over the weekend, sources on Thursday said Japan as of now did not figure in the initial groundwork for the 19th edition of Malabar to be held in September-October.
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If it happens, it will be interesting because China had strongly protested against the 2007 edition of Malabar in the Bay of Bengal since it was expanded to include the Australian, Japanese and Singaporean navies as well. Beijing had viewed the multilateral naval exercise as part of a grand security axis in the Asia-Pacific region to "contain'' it.

The previous UPA regime had then restricted Japan's participation in the Malabar to just the 2009 and 2014 editions since they were held in north-western Pacific. In the backdrop of Modi's personal chemistry with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and their intent to build stronger bilateral strategic ties, Japan may well be invited to take part in the exercise in India's eastern seaboard as well.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Mar 2015 03:45

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/jap ... 68493.html

Washington: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will bring his message of deepening economic and security ties with Washington when he makes a landmark address to US lawmakers on April 29.

"Prime Minister Abe will become the first Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress and we are proud to host this historic event," House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday.

"His address will provide an opportunity for the American people to hear from one of our closest allies about ways we can expand our cooperation on economic and security priorities," Boehner said, including "working together to open markets and encourage more economic growth through free trade."

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Mar 2015 08:25

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 719250.cms

NEW DELHI: India has signed a Rs 2,760 crore loan deal with Japan for the development of the second phase of the Rengali irrigation project in Odisha and cleaning of river Mula-Mutha in Pune, Maharashtra.

The 'Exchange of Notes' on Japanese (Official Development Assistance) ODA Loan for the two projects totalling JPY 53.023 billion was here.

The pact was signed between Ambassador of Japan to India Takeshi Yagi and Joint Secretary in Indian Finance Ministry Tarun Bajaj.

The Japanese ODA loan for Rengali Irrigation Project (Phase 2) will be provided to install irrigation facilities, organise and build the capacity of Water Users Associations, and extend technical guidance to the farmers in the area of River Burahmani in Odisha.

"It is expected that this loan will contribute to poverty alleviation by increasing and diversifying agricultural production and thus raising agricultural income Rengali Irrigation Project (Phase 2)," Embassy of Japan said in a statement.

The loan will also be used for Pollution Abatement of River Mula-Mutha in Pune (JPY 19.064 billion).

The fund will be provided to develop sewage facility such as sewage treatment plant, sewage pipe and public toilets in Pune city.

It is expected that this loan will improve the sanitary environment of the citizens by enhancing quality of the river water, the Embassy said.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Mar 2015 21:19

US-Japan, but relevant to the security architecture of Asia:

Okinawa’s governor orders halt to base construction. Early this week, Takeshi Onaga, the governor of Okinawa, ordered the suspension of work on a new American military airfield at Camp Schwab. The relocation of U.S. forces to a base near the village of Henoko has been delayed for years by local opposition, who fear the environmental impact of construction and the long-term implications of a new base for Okinawa’s future. Onaga, who was elected governor last December in part because of his promise to halt construction of the base, instructed Japan’s defense ministry to stop work after local officials found builders had damaged coral reefs. Tokyo has said it will ignore the order and continue with the project; Onaga has threatened to revoke a maritime drilling permit should survey work and construction continue. About half of U.S. military personnel—which total nearly fifty thousand—are stationed on Okinawa.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Mar 2015 21:22

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/0 ... RbZ1mbGuto

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI – The Japanese manufacturer of US-2 amphibious aircraft operated by the Self-Defense Forces has entered talks with multiple Indian firms to set up a joint company in the event Tokyo and New Delhi reach agreement on joint production of the plane, sources said.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 29 Mar 2015 20:24

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/0 ... RgUZ2bGuto

Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has expressed his readiness to consider acquiring Soryu-class diesel-electric submarines used by the Maritime Self-Defense Force.

“We are very much interested in Japan’s technologies,” Parrikar said in an exclusive interview ahead of his visit to Japan from Monday.

The issue may be taken up at his meeting with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani the same day, according to Parrikar. “Everything is on agenda. We can discuss that issue,” he said Saturday.

India’s navy has a fleet of 15 submarines, but more than half are not equipped to respond quickly to contingencies due to aging. In view of the growing activity of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean, New Delhi has put a high priority on arms buildup to strengthen maritime security.

Japan’s Soryu-class submarines are seen as among the most advanced nonnuclear attack submarines in the world.

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 29 Mar 2015 21:03

Soryu is not ideal for IN. They should rather focus on SSN's and SSBN's. Scorpene and derivatives are enough to handle pakis.

schinnas · Post by **schinnas** » 29 Mar 2015 22:51

Bheeshma wrote:Soryu is not ideal for IN. They should rather focus on SSN's and SSBN's. Scorpene and derivatives are enough to handle pakis.

Pakis are not our primary security concern as far as IN is concerned. Soryus are technically superior to Scorpenes. If there is a better ToT (transfer of technology) feasibility with Scorpene, we should grab it with both hands. Strategically, Japan is more aligned with India than say France or Germany who could be arm-twisted by Chinese, but the proud Japanese will not be arm twisted by Chinese vis a vis India.

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 29 Mar 2015 23:08

The soryus will have added strings like no nuke missiles and other associated shit. I would stay away from Japan for any defence deal. Japan has more economic linkages with china than India so that they cannot be arm twisted in false. Japan is only strategically aligned with US. Soryu's don't have range to operate in SCS and are no match for a nuke sub.A scorpene with DRDO AIP can operate as far as persian gulf.

schinnas · Post by **schinnas** » 30 Mar 2015 00:14

Bheeshma wrote:The soryus will have added strings like no nuke missiles and other associated shit. I would stay away from Japan for any defence deal. Japan has more economic linkages with china than India so that they cannot be arm twisted in false. Japan is only strategically aligned with US. Soryu's don't have range to operate in SCS and are no match for a nuke sub.A scorpene with DRDO AIP can operate as far as persian gulf.

Every country in the world except for Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Srilanka (until recently) would have more economic linkage with China than India. The big strategic game is now being played in Asia and with the regional disputes and acrimonious past history between them, Japan is a strategic adversary to China unlike France or Germany and needs India to balance China. Japan is the last country that will be arm-twisted against India by China.

I cannot understand the logic of your argument. Nobody is suggesting Soryu's as an alternative to nuke subs. Scorpenes are NOT nuke subs last time I checked.

If you want to give technical data as to how Scorpene is better than Soryu, I will be all ears.

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 30 Mar 2015 01:19

No but we an already build the scopenes and hopefully add DRDO AIP into it. What is the point of going for another kind of sub that IN has absolutely no interest in and is only being pushed due to some personnel rapport between the PM's. It just seems like another logistial nightmare. The soryu unlike collins were never meant for extended patrols or operating very far off Japans coast. They pretty much offer nothing compared to AIP equipped scorpenes.

uddu · Post by **uddu** » 30 Mar 2015 07:40

We may go for three more Scorpenes. But for the P75I Soryu is a good choice. Let there be competition amount all participants. Let the best one win.
India already operates Russian, German and now French Submarines.
The one thing that's pretty good about Japanese is about the build time.
From keel laying to commissioning is just 4 years for Soryu subs. When we need subs in shortest possible time, this could be the one. Also some of the technology related to Li-ion can also be helpful when we start to build the next generation of conventional Indigenous subs. We will have a requirement of around 20 of them in the next 20 years.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 31 Mar 2015 14:23

India, Japan likely to share shipping data in Indian Ocean, South China Sea - Rajat Pandit, ET

India and Japan are setting the stage for reciprocal exchange of shipping information and data in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, even as they bolster their bilateral strategic partnership and maritime cooperation with an eye firmly on China.

While the annual defence dialogue (AAD) between defence minister Manohar Parrikar and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani in Tokyo on Monday took a slew of decisions to strengthen defence ties, sources said the two sides also discussed the proposed exchange of maritime information.

"India can provide Japan with 'white shipping data' about Indian Ocean, where we have the resources to monitor things. Japan, in turn, can give us information about South China Sea, where we have some strategic interests. India and Vietnam, for instance, are working on joint oil exploration in the South China Sea" said a source.

India is trying to tie up with as many as 24 countries — from the African east coast to South China Sea — for exchanging shipping data under its overall national maritime domain awareness (NMDA) project to strengthen security both from conventional as well as unconventional threats.

While the exchange of data would deal primarily with merchant shipping, both India and Japan remain worried about China's expanding trans-border military capabilities as well as its assertive behaviour in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the contentious South and East China Seas where it is embroiled in territorial disputes with its neighbours.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, who shares a personal rapport with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, in fact told Parrikar that "a strong" India-Japan partnership was not only in the "national interest of the two" but also "important for peace and security in the region".

Holding that India attaches great importance to strengthening bilateral security cooperation with Japan, Parrikar in turn told Abe that he would like "a strong partnership" in defence equipment and technology.

But as earlier reported by TOI, India's interest in Japan's Soryu diesel-electric submarines for the over Rs 50,000 crore project to domestically make six stealth submarines may not lead to anything concrete. With no experience of hawking its military wares, Japan will find it difficult to compete with Russia, France, Germany and others in the fray.

Conversely, the proposed purchase of at least 12 Japanese US-2i amphibious aircraft for the Indian Navy for around $1.3 billion - the Coast Guard also wants five such planes - will be more of a direct government-to-government deal. But the problem in this project is that it will be economically and technically unviable to make only 17 such planes under the Modi government's 'Make in India' policy.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 01 Apr 2015 08:53

Japan eyes defence ties with India to counter China
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst

NEW DELHI: Amid increasing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan today sought enhanced cooperation with India in defence and security sector including in the field of maritime security.Making it clear that India considers relations with Tokyo of "great importance", Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Japan is a privileged partner in the 'Make In India' initiative including the defence technology sector.Parrikar, who is on a four-day visit to Japan, today held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.During the talks, Kishida emphasised on the commonality of strategic interests between the two countries and conveyed Japan's desire to enhance bilateral defence and security cooperation including in the field of maritime security.
He said Japan would like to further enhance economic cooperation with India and work jointly to enhance regional connectivity, an official statement said.Parrikar welcomed Japan's initiative to strengthen bilateral ties.India and Japan are looking at deepening bilateral defence cooperation amid Tokyo's ongoing tussle with Beijing.Japan has been witnessing conflict with China over control of private islands in South China sea. A territorial dispute even exists between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, which Beijing refers to as the Diaoyu Islands.India considers relations with Japan very important, which is evident from the fact that he chose Japan as the first country to visit after assuming office of Defence Minister, Parrikar said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who met with Parrikar yesterday, had told him that "a strong" India-Japan partnership was not only in the "national interest of the two" but also "important for peace and security in the region".

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 01 Apr 2015 12:38

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/sli ... 766206.cms
Manohar Parrikar visits Japan's Self-Defense warship Izumo

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 07 Apr 2015 21:40

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/india-ja ... n-myanmar/
India-Japan ‘Soft Power’ Cooperation in Myanmar
Purnendra Jain and Tridivesh Singh Maini make the case that there is scope for these two increasingly friendly countries to work together in Myanmar.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 19 Apr 2015 03:39

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 973359.cms

Varanasi: Amid celebration by Bharatiya Janata Party workers outside his residence on Saturday morning, mayor Ram Gopal Mohaley left for Kyoto with a delegation of officials.

It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had signed Kashi-Kyoto pact on August 30, 2014 to develop Varanasi as a smart city on the line of Kyoto. After it, Kyoto vice-mayor Kenichi Ogasawara had arrived in Varanasi with a delegation in October 2014. In March, a Kyoto University team also visited Varanasi to study waste management, ghats along the Ganga and various heritage sites and modifications required for infrastructure development of the city.

From India, it is the first delegation to reach Kyoto and Tokyo to see the technologies of liquid waste and solid waste management, urban transport, heritage byelaws, zero hoarding policies, construction of heritage cultural centre on public private partnership model, assistance for textile cluster and tourism. The delegation will study these aspects for four days in Japan.

schinnas · Post by **schinnas** » 21 Apr 2015 16:31

Two news of interest regarding Japan:

1. Japan Population size reached a new 15 yr low. http://time.com/3827440/japans-population-falls/
We have the opposite demographic issue. We have an ever rising youthful population that needs jobs and not all of them will find gainful employment even in a growing Indian economy.

2. Japan's high speed rail network is improving in sophistication and taking a leaf from China, Japan is trying to sell infrastructure to the emerging world revive its economy. The only problem is they do not have ever ending supply of qualified engineers and disciplined workers (refer to #1) above.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 999409.cms

GoI should encourage and provide SOPs to Indian private sector construction companies to form JVs with Japan in taking large scale construction projects around the world. We will gain expertise, access to latest technology and best practices in construction and infrastructure side and our increasing number of youth will get meaningful skill based employment. Japan cannot do it themselves and we are not in a position to do it ourselves as well.

India should also explore possibility of a time bound import of skilled Indian work force in Japan (so we do not trigger immigration concerns of Japanese). Language is a barrier but as long as the supervisor is bi-lingual (English-Japanese or hindi-Japanese), we can send hundreds of thousands of skilled workforce that are underpaid in Gulf to Japan on time bound non-immigrant visas.

Japan cannot revive its economy or raise an armed force capable of defending against Chinese aggression without enough skilled and youthful population which India can offer.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 21 Apr 2015 16:53

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 995493.cms

Rinko Nagami's love affair with India began way before she met her Malayali husband. A visit to the country in 1985 had her hooked. Since then, the manga artist has been an ambassador of south Indian culture and cuisine in Japan, bringing out books on the country that fascinates her.

Nagami's latest manga, 'Rinko Nagami's South India is so delicious!' hit the stands in Tokyo on March 9, 2015. "I wanted to draw the attention of Japanese people to south Indian food," says Nagami, whose husband Koodathodi Chami has been running a south Indian restaurant, Kerala Bhavan, in Tokyo since 2004.

Over the years, the number of Japanese coming down to south India — Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Puducherry — has gone up. "In 2014, the numbers touched 1,019 for south India and 836 for Tamil Nadu," says Deputy Consul-General Koji Sugiyama.

According to him, a majority of Japanese come down on business and stay for two to three years. "As on 2014, there are 1, 209 Japanese companies in India, with 225 in TN," he says. "The Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI) in Chennai celebrated its 10th anniversary in February 2015. Ten years ago, there were only 24 Japanese companies which were members of JCCI but in 2014, there were 180."

With an increasing number of Japanese coming down, and a common love for rice and Rajinikanth, there is a growing interest in south Indian culture and cuisine in Japan. "South Indian and Japanese culture may be very different in many ways but there are also interesting similarities. For instance, we have a festival called Dondo-yaki which is akin to Bhogi, the day preceding Thai Pongal in Tamil Nadu. In the middle of January, we also burn old things and cook rice porridge with Japanese dal, like Pongal. During another festival, Hinamatsuri, usually celebrated by girls, people display dolls at home just like you have kolu during Navarathri in south India," says Shinji Kashima, who along with artist Hiroyoshi Takeda, call themselves Masalawala, and specialise in dishing out south Indian meals to the Japanese.

Recently, the duo, along with photographer-writer Akira Io and his wife Haruna brought out 'Visual Guide of South Indian Culture', a Japanese book that covers cooking, cinema, performing arts and rituals, wherein they introduce Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Pongal, and Jallikattu to Japanese readers through their point of view.

"The basic concept was in my brain for a long time. I had written a small book on Carnatic music with chief editor of Sruti magazine V Ramnarayan. After my return to Japan, I wanted to do a similar visual guide of south Indian culture," says Akira. The work was distributed, with Akira and Haruna writing about music, dance and handicraft, while Masalawala wrote about cuisine and cinema. The book was released in October last year.

"Previously, only naan and curry were known to the Japanese. But recently south Indian cuisine is getting featured in Japanese media and exclusive restaurants have emerged in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo," says Hiroyoshi. "Also, many Japanese are now leaning Carnatic music, classical dances such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniyattam as well as Ayurveda."

Rajinikanth's 'Muthu' and later 'Enthiran' spurred a renewed interest in Tamil cinema. In fact, Masalawala will soon appear in the 3D film 'Jumbulingam' as crazy Rajini fans. ........

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 22 Apr 2015 05:36

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/law-allow-jap ... 28251.html

TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to expand Japan's non-combat role in armed conflicts beyond "areas around Japan" could see Tokyo becoming dragged into action in the South China Sea in support of U.S. forces, government and ruling party sources say.

Abe will send legislation to parliament next month - with the backing of his coalition partners virtually assuring its passage - allowing Japan to ship fuel and ammunition to American units anywhere, should Tokyo judge its national security to be at stake.

Japan and the United States have no territorial claims in the energy-rich South China Sea, but tensions are rising between China and Philippines in the strategic waterway, where some $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, much of it heading to and from Japanese ports.

Washington is treaty-bound to defend Manila if it is attacked.

"If the Philippines were to clash with China, they would send an SOS to their ally the U.S.," said a policy expert in Japan's Liberal Democratic Party. "If the U.S. military were then to seek assistance from the Self Defense Forces, the question then becomes what Japan can do."

As part of a raft of bills to reform the country's security strategy, the parties in Abe's coalition have agreed to drop a restriction that has allowed Japan to provide ally the United States with logistical support only in "areas around Japan" - code for a conflict with North Korea.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 Apr 2015 03:39

http://www.eurasiareview.com/23042015-f ... -analysis/
Future Growth Of India And China To Be Tuned By Japan – Analysis

Located at the mid-way of the two Silk Roads between Europe/Africa in the west and China/ASEAN in the east, it is not difficult for Beijing as well as Tokyo to fathom how much more the ‘market value’ of a co-operative New Delhi government together with a secured Indian Ocean thoroughfare than that of the crude oil (and natural gas) reserve under the sea in East Asia.

EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) estimates that the East China Sea has about 200 million barrels of oil in proved and probable reserves. Chinese sources claim … as high as 70 to 160 billion barrels of oil for the entire East China Sea” [Note 4]. Fine, let us suppose it has 100 billion barrels and half of the treasure (i.e. 50 billion) is below China’s waters, and also assume it will take 100 years to fully pump the oil up for use. It means China can get about 0.5 billion barrels here each year. Multiplying it by the market price USD56 per barrel producing USD28 billion per annum, but in 2013 China’s total value of import and export of goods amounted to USD4,158.99 billion already [Note 5]. There is lackluster financial justification for Beijing to exchange gun fires with Tokyo for such a tiny annual benefit (0.67% of trade volume of goods, let alone services) to disrupt China’s blooming trade perilously.

Another EIA data shows that in 2013 China’s oil consumption was 10,303,000 barrels per day, meaning a total of around 3.761 billion barrels per year [Note 6]. In other words, the drilling in East China Sea can merely meet around 13% of China’s annual demand at the 2013 combustion level. Again, economically speaking, bearing in mind that China is prioritizing its green industries such as electric vehicles, only tomfools in Beijing would blunder into a costly war against the Japan-U.S. alliance for this 13% oil consumption. Apparently, unless embittered by Tokyo’s real efforts to turn the islands in dispute habitable for the Japanese, Beijing will refrain from taking military actions. It is therefore entirely up to Abe to tune the neighboring relationship with Beijing for various political needs.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Apr 2015 18:59

I am conflicted about the propriety of posting news-items like the below. On the one hand, the economic relations between two countries is made up of a huge number of individual interactions; and some of these are strategic - i.e., they support some major Indian strategic goal. On the other hand, it is a bit of public relations for some private corporation or the other.

Moderator, readers, please advise.

https://www.techinasia.com/rebright-par ... -startups/

Japan’s Rebright Partners today revealed that it has launched a new US$20 million fund for India. This early stage VC, which has the backing of leading Japanese tech corporations, has extensive investments in East and Southeast Asia, including an incubator in Indonesia. So its commitment to India is good news for startups in the country.

Seasoned entrepreneur Takeshi Ebihara, who founded Rebright Partners four years ago, explains to Tech in Asia the unique value that a Japanese VC brings to Indian startups:

" Most of our fund investors are large Japanese corporations in the IT sector. They are very keen to enter the Indian market. For that, they would like to have partnerships with local startups. At this moment, most of them do not have any activity in India, so they need us on the ground. We like to be the gateway between these two markets."

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Apr 2015 19:01

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 078504.cms

A Japanese delegation led by Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa and comprising top executives of companies such as Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Toshiba, Hitachi Tsumitomo, Mitsui and Mitsubishi are set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week to present a paper on doubling that country's di rect investment in India.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Apr 2015 10:25

A_Gupta wrote:I am conflicted about the propriety of posting news-items like the below. . .

I do not know why you should be.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Apr 2015 00:16

The Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Yoichi Miyazawa called on Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today. He conveyed to the Prime Minister that he had come with a delegation of top business leaders, who have firm plans to invest USD 3.0 billion in India in the immediate future. This, he said, was in pursuance of the shared commitment of Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Modi to enhance Japanese investments in India, especially in support of Prime Minister's "Make in India" mission.

Mr. Miyazawa also proposed a new Joint Working Group between Ministry of External Affairs of India and METI of Japan on civil nuclear energy cooperation.

Mr. Miyazawa expressed happiness with the working of the fast track mechanism for India-Japan Collaboration - Japan Plus and underlined his government's support for further strengthening it.

Mr. Miyazawa reiterated his Government's strong commitment for providing and facilitating long term funding to support the development of India's manufacturing and infrastructure, consistent with Prime Minister Abe's commitment to Prime Minister Modi in Tokyo last September to facilitate financing and investments of up to 3.5 trillion Yen in the next five years. He reaffirmed Japan's interest in supporting the development of High Speed Railways in India, citing Shinkansen's excellent record in performance and safety over five decades. - See more at: http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews. ... nIiiM.dpuf

- See more at: http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews. ... nIiiM.dpuf

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Apr 2015 18:21

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 401_1.html

India and Japan today signed an action plan that will see doubling of Japanese investments into Indian companies in the next five years and boost two-way trade.

The agenda, India-Japan investment and trade promotion and Asia-Pacific economic integration, was signed between minister of state (independent charge) for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitharaman and Japan's minister for economy, trade and industry Yoichi Miyazawa, here today.

The action plan was categorised into five broad areas - development of selected townships in India as Japanese industrial townships, promotion of investment and infrastructure development, further development and cooperation in information technology, enhancing cooperation in strategic sectors and Asia-Pacific economic integration.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 04 May 2015 15:58

http://fitnhit.com/news/india-ties-japa ... imes/6387/

India, Japan Trying to Deal with Cyber Crimes : In order to tackle cyber criminals in Internet espionage, cyber terrorism and stealing personal as well as critical data effectively, India has sought assistance from Japan on the expertise and latest technologies.

Officials from the Ministry of Telecom and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) last week met with a visiting top Japanese trade delegation led by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa to discuss on securing the flow of information on the Internet as well as protect critical government data on cloud.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 07 May 2015 15:58

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 182972.cms

Shinzo Abe's government is firming up its promise to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi build India's infrastructure and promote domestic manufacturing as it doubles its investment in the country.

Japan has identified 11 sites to set up industrial townships in India, which would serve as hubs for investments into the country. These include Tumkur in Karnataka, Ghilot in Rajasthan, Mandal in Gujarat and Supa in Maharashtra. Japan will also provide soft-skills training to Indian workers ..

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 08 May 2015 16:15

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 888_1.html

In a first of its kind, India and Japan are going to soon set up a Logistics Data Bank (LDB) service that will ensure speedy movement of two-way merchandise trade by way of real-time tracking of container and cargo movement in the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) region.

The LDB will be operated by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) which will be jointly run by DMIC Trust from Indian side and Japan's NEC. Once in operation, the LDB is expected to save $3.2 billion annually by 2017 on the basis of real time tracking of container movement.

That $3.2 billion savings annually seems to me like an inflated number. Any insights, anyone?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 11 May 2015 18:00

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7656 ... tml?pg=all

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is moving ahead this week with legislation that would boost the military's international role, in a significant shift of the country's pacifist policies.

His ruling coalition reached formal agreement Monday on a package of bills that would loosen restrictions imposed on the military by the U.S. occupation after World War II. They would allow Japan to contribute more to the U.S.-Japan alliance, as the countries agreed to in revised security guidelines signed last month.

The proposals are expected to be approved by the Cabinet later this week for submission to parliament. The legislation is considered likely to pass this summer, given the comfortable majority held by Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 12 May 2015 01:29

http://www.hindustantimes.com/business- ... 6156.aspxv
India-born Nikesh Arora named Japan's SoftBank Corp president

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 May 2015 05:28

http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/128 ... ks-dormant
Japan-Canada trade talks dormant

No meetings in sight as Japanese lose interest in forging new agreement

OTTAWA — Trade talks have stalled between Canada and Japan — one of the Harper government’s priority countries for a breakthrough — because the Asian country has lost interest, The Canadian Press has learned.

An internal memo from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development says the level of progress with Japan has failed to meet expectations since talks opened in March 2012.

The memo says Japan is more interested in the ongoing 12-country Trans- Pacific Partnership talks with several of its neighbours as well as Canada, the United States, Mexico and Australia.

Japan is dragging its heels on a date for the eighth round of bilateral trade talks with Canada, says the note, which was prepared for an April 17 meeting of department officials.