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.
Because this is the first time I have travelled outside my country, sharing the experience, Japanese student Kazama said: “Coming to India is a very special experience for me. 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.
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. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath began his address with the Japanese greeting, ‘Ohayo gozaimasu’, a polite Japanese phrase meaning ‘Good Morning’. 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. 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.
He said: “UP is a major centre of India’s spiritual and cultural consciousness and can be viewed as the ‘Heartland of India’. 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.
