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India-Japan and their deep Buddhist connect

India and Japan have enjoyed cordial relations ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1952. This relationship has grown from strength to strength in various fields and today the two countries enjoy a very deep and close relationship.

Early India-Japan relations

But India and Japan relations go back a long way. Cultural exchanges between India and Japan began around the 6th century when Buddhism, a religion which originated in India was introduced in Japan.

This happened when the Indian monk Bodhisena arrived in Japan in 736 to propagate Buddhism and performed eye-opening of the Great Buddha built-in Tōdai-ji. He stayed in Japan until his death in 760.

Therefore, India and Japan are guided by common cultural traditions, including the shared heritage of Buddhism, and share a strong commitment to the ideals of democracy, tolerance, pluralism, and open societies.

After this several other Indian personalities like Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose and JRD Tata became closely associated with the Japan in different capacities and became greatly impressed by the land of the rising sun. The Japan-India Association was set up in 1903, and is the oldest international friendship body in Japan.

India-Japan relations after WW II
After World War II, in 1949, then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. This is said to have had a very positive impact upon the Japanese people who were still recovering from the defeat and devastation of World War 2. This was followed by the two countries signing a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28th April, 1952. This treaty was one of the first peace treaties Japan signed with any country after World War II.

The first official cultural agreement between the two countries was signed in 1956 by establishing a scholarship system for young Japanese scholars to study in India. It was followed by a visit of Japanese Prime Minister to India and then Indian Prime Minister to Japan. Cultural relations between the two countries picked up in 1980s with the local governments in Japan started exchanging activities with their Indian counterparts.

The arrival of Buddhism in Japan which is quite different from kami worship, the ancient native belief system created political struggles between pro- and anti-Buddhist groups. Eventually, the adherents of Buddhism prevailed, and the new religion became firmly established under imperial sponsorship in the country.

Buddhism also brought with it a political structure, advanced technologies, and sophisticated cultural practices—including music, dance, a new writing system, and above all, elaborate Buddhist art—that would revolutionize several aspects of Japanese life.

Today, some thirteen schools of Buddhism exist in Japan, and the majority of the population professes to be Buddhist. There are about 80,000 Buddhist temples in Japan with some 150,000 priests as well as several colleges dedicated chiefly to Buddhist studies.

In 1988, then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi attended the opening ceremony of the Festival of India in Japan. The Japan Foundation, which is actively promoting the cultural exchanges, opened its office in New Delhi in 1994. The 50th anniversary of the Indo-Japan Cultural Agreement in 2007 was announced as the year of Indo-Japan friendship and tourism promotion.

Both the countries hold cultural events. In 2009, India Cultural Centre was formally inaugurated in Tokyo to offer classes on Yoga, Tabla, Indian classical dances, Hindi and Bengali languages. Japan also extends cultural grant-in-aid to research institutes, universities, and cultural faculties to encourage their activities. The UNESCO/Japan Trust Fund for Preservation of the World Cultural Heritage is helping with the preservation and restoration of the Buddhist monuments of Sanchi and Satdhara. Japan has also extended support in reconstruction of Nalanda University.

The year 2012 marked the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India. Various cultural events took place both in Japan and in India to promote mutual understanding between the two countries, under the theme of “Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India: New Perspectives, New Exchanges.”

Therefore, India and Japan are connected with each other at various levels. While in today’s time economics and trade have come to dominate the relations between the two countries, but that has not dimmed the cultural relations that exists between the two countries which started with the coming of Buddhism into Japan.

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