External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday visited the Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) in Ahmedabad.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, “Happy to visit the Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy at AMA in Ahmedabad. Inaugurated by PM @narendramodi last year, it is a fitting tribute to the close friendship between India and Japan.”

On June 27, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy via video conference and elaborated on his vision of creating a ‘Mini-Japan’ in Gujarat.

According to a release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Modi talked of Japan’s enthusiastic participation in the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Summit’ over the years. He said more than 135 companies, ranging from automobile, and banking to construction and pharma, have made Gujarat their base. Companies like Suzuki Motors, Honda Motorcycle, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Hitachi are involved in manufacturing in Gujarat.

“They are contributing skill development of the local youth. In Gujarat, three Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing is giving skill training to hundreds of youth with the tie-up with technical universities and IITs. Furthermore, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO’s) Ahmedabad Business Support Centre is providing plug and play work-space facility to up to five companies simultaneously. Many Japanese companies are being benefitted by this,” said PM Modi.

He also praised the Indo-Japan Friendship Association of Gujarat for giving new energy to India-Japan relations.

Pointing to the similarities between ‘Zen’ and Indian ‘Dhyan’, PM Modi dwelled on the emphasis on inner peace along with outer progress and growth in the two cultures.

“Indians will find a glimpse of the same peace, poise, and simplicity in this Zen garden, which they experienced in Yoga through the ages. Buddha gave this ‘Dhyan’ this enlightenment to the world”, PM Modi.

The friendship between India and Japan has a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilizational ties.

Economic relations between India and Japan have vast potential for growth, given the complementarities that exist between the two Asian economies. Japan’s interest in India is increasing due to a variety of reasons including India’s large and growing market and its resources, especially human resources. The India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that came into force in August 2011 is the most comprehensive of all such agreements concluded by India and covers not only trade in goods but also services, movement of natural persons, investments, intellectual property rights, customs procedures and other trade related issues.

The CEPA envisages the abolition of tariffs on over 94 per cent of items traded between India and Japan over a period of 10 years.