Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe take an express train to Tokyo

YAMANASHI (JAPAN): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe took the train to Tokyo after spending eight hours together in the scenic Yamanashi Prefecture, where they had informal talks and visited an industrial manufacturer's factory.

Modi, who arrived in Japan last night to attend the 13th annual India-Japan Summit, was warmly welcomed on his arrival and the first day of his visit was characterized by special gestures and warmth.

"After spending 8 hours together in Yamanashi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took the Kaiji express train to Tokyo," tweeted Raveesh Kumar, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs.

The high-speed train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will cover a total length of 508 kilometers, of which 21 kilometers will be covered in the submarine tunnel.

The total cost of the train project is Rs. 1,010 billion and Japan is providing Rs. 88,000 for an amount equivalent to a minimum interest of 0.1 per cent, which is to be repaid over 50 years.

In a message delivered on the day of the two leaders' summit, Abe said that India was the engine of the region and the prosperity of the world as a world power.

The day that Japanese Shinkansen high-speed trains begin to circulate between Mumbai and Ahmedabad through cooperation will mark in the future a bright symbol of Japanese-Indian friendship, Abe said.

"Japan is India's partner in the modernization of the railways, including the Mumbai Ahmedabad high-speed train," he said.

The two-day summit, which begins Sunday, will look at progress in relations and deepen the strategic dimension of bilateral relations.

Upon arriving at the Mount Fuji Hotel, in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, Modi was affectionately received by Abe.

After lunch, the two prime ministers visited the FANUC industrial site, which specializes in automation.

"PM Shinzo Abe and I visited the FANUC Corporation, a pioneering company in the use and application of technology, especially in the field of robotics," tweeted Modi.

Later in the evening, Abe organized Modi in a special gesture, in his private villa near Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi, for a private dinner.

It was the first time that Abe invited a foreign political leader to his holiday home in the village of Narusawa, in the prefecture.

"Head-to-head in front of a fireplace." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his personal villa near Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi, the foreign prime minister to be invited to the villa, "said Kumar in a tweet.

Modi will also speak to the Indian community in Tokyo, attend a series of business events and address the business forum.