LUCKNOW Official protocols took a backseat on Friday at the chief minister’s residence, which played host to a heartwarming cultural exchange between Yogi Adityanath and a student delegation from Japan and India. The diplomacy removed linguistic barriers, paved way for smiles, dialogue and a natural bridge of friendship between the cultures of the two nations.
Organised alongside the Uttar Pradesh-Japan investment summit, the interactive session titled – ‘A Dialogue with the Future’ — brought together 13 students and faculty members from Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture and their counterparts from local Lucknow schools. Yamanashi governor Kotaro Nagasaki was also present.
The interaction offered a glimpse of the future of India-Japan relations, one whose foundations are being laid in the hearts and minds of today’s young generation.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath began his address with the Japanese greeting, ‘Ohayo gozaimasu’, a polite Japanese phrase meaning ‘Good Morning’. He said: “UP is a major centre of India’s spiritual and cultural consciousness and can be viewed as the ‘Heartland of India’.”
“This is not a meeting of students. It is a meeting of two cultures, two traditions and the young generations of two countries.” He noted that the next year will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. At such a time, students from both countries have the potential to become future ambassadors who can take this relationship to new heights.
He said one of the major achievements of the dialogue would be for Japan’s younger generation to see India not merely as a market but as a civilizational partner and friend. At the same time, Indian students have the opportunity to learn about Japan’s work culture, life philosophy, discipline, ‘Ikigai’, teamwork, mutual respect, cleanliness, punctuality, traditional arts and festivals, the CM added.
{{/usCountry}}He said one of the major achievements of the dialogue would be for Japan’s younger generation to see India not merely as a market but as a civilizational partner and friend. At the same time, Indian students have the opportunity to learn about Japan’s work culture, life philosophy, discipline, ‘Ikigai’, teamwork, mutual respect, cleanliness, punctuality, traditional arts and festivals, the CM added.
{{/usCountry}}Adityanath concluded his address with “Arigato gozaimasu” in Japanese, which means “Thank you very much”.
Yamanashi governor Kotaro Nagasaki expressed his gratitude to chief minister Yogi Adityanath for giving students from both countries the opportunity to interact.
Following the addresses by CM and the governor, the interaction became even more informal and warm. Japanese students came together to perform a song in their native language. Representing India, student Ishan captivated the audience with ‘Kaushalya Dashrath Ke Nandan...’, a devotional song dedicated to Lord Ram.
Sharing the experience, Japanese student Kazama said: “Coming to India is a very special experience for me because this is the first time I have travelled outside my country. The friendly way people have treated us here has touched my heart. Seeing so many motorcycles and cars on Indian roads was completely new for me. I don’t experience this often in Tokyo.”
“I got the opportunity to see the Taj Mahal and its beautiful marble and grandeur impressed me greatly. We are all high school students and I want us to become a bridge of friendship and understanding between India and Japan. I will always remember the experience I had here today,” said Kazama.
Another Japanese student Miyagi Moto said: “It is special for me to have the opportunity to share my thoughts in front of so many people. I have participated in similar interaction programmes with students from different countries before, but the experience of India is unique.”
Students also expressed their emotions through the art of origami. They presented the CM with beautifully crafted origami creations carrying a message of peace and friendship. The small handmade gifts symbolised a much larger aspiration: hope for peace, friendship and shared progress among the young generations of the two countries.
Amid the warm and informal atmosphere, CM took selfies with Japanese students and children from Lucknow. The foreign students also approached Yogi without concern for protocol to take selfies.
Students were visibly excited to have their photo clicked with the CM. Their smiles and enthusiasm transformed the moment into a cherished memory that both Indian and Japanese students are likely to carry with them for years to come.
Thirteen Japanese students met their counterparts from UP, performed a song in their own language, conveyed a message of peace and friendship through origami and prepared to take their experiences of India back home. Indian students, meanwhile, had the opportunity to understand Japanese culture more closely and share glimpses of their own traditions.
On one side were children from Yamanashi and on the other were children from Lucknow. Their languages and cultures were different, but their dreams for the future were the same. That was the defining image of ‘A Dialogue with the Future’, a friendship forged today laying the foundation for a stronger India-Japan partnership tomorrow.