Uttar Pradesh is planning one of its most extensive cultural showcases for an international delegation as it prepares to host nearly 200 visitors from Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture next month.
Instead of limiting the visit to monuments and sightseeing, the state is curating an experience centred around spirituality, regional traditions, cuisine and performing arts, seeking to deepen people-to-people ties through tourism.
The broad contours of the programme were discussed on Wednesday during a meeting between UP Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh and an advance delegation from Yamanashi Prefecture. This delegation is currently touring Uttar Pradesh to review preparations ahead of the proposed visit of the 200-member delegation from August 20 to 23. The delegation is expected to comprise senior government representatives, industry leaders, universities, financial institutions, tourism organisations and youth delegates from Japan.
Varanasi will be at the centre of the itinerary, where the delegation is expected to experience the Ganga Aarti, a cruise on the Ganga, regional cuisine and a specially curated cultural evening celebrating Uttar Pradesh’s music, dance and artistic traditions. The Minister also directed officials to accord the visitors a traditional Braj-themed welcome in Agra, ensuring that the region’s folk traditions, hospitality and cultural identity become an integral part of their visit alongside the Taj Mahal.
“The relationship between Uttar Pradesh and Japan is built on shared civilisational values, and tourism is one of its strongest expressions. Our effort is not just to showcase destinations, but to help visitors experience the traditions, culture and hospitality that define Uttar Pradesh. When people return carrying those experiences, they become our strongest ambassadors across the world,” Singh said.
Beyond the proposed itinerary, the meeting also explored ways to deepen tourism and cultural engagement between Uttar Pradesh and Japan. Discussions included the possibility of developing, in collaboration with Film Bandhu, a 30 minute documentary showcasing Uttar Pradesh’s tourism offerings for Japanese audiences, expanding cultural exchanges between the two regions, and exploring avenues to facilitate greater engagement with Japanese media to enhance awareness about Uttar Pradesh as a tourism destination.
The Japanese delegation appreciated the cooperation extended by the Uttar Pradesh Government in planning the upcoming visit and thanked the Tourism Department for the warmth and professionalism with which it had been received. Members of the delegation said the meticulous planning and hospitality had reinforced their confidence that the August visit would further strengthen the partnership between Yamanashi Prefecture and Uttar Pradesh.
Reflecting the very approach Uttar Pradesh now intends to showcase before international visitors, the meeting concluded over an authentic Awadhi lunch featuring regional delicacies, including the celebrated shahi tukda. The culinary experience also introduced the visiting delegation to Lucknow’s rich gastronomic heritage and its recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, highlighting another dimension of the state’s cultural identity.
Following the Lucknow meeting, the advance delegation will travel to Varanasi and Sarnath to review tourism arrangements, Buddhist sites and visitor experiences ahead of the larger August visit.
Present during the meeting were Dr Vedpati Mishra, Director General Tourism; Pushpa Kumar K, Director Tourism (Eco); Neerendra Upadhyaya, Advisor to the Government of Yamanashi Prefecture; Katsuya Hada, Director General, Innovation Promotion Bureau, Yamanashi Prefectural Government; Masakazu Utsugi, Assistant Director, International Division, along with senior officials from the Yamanashi Prefectural Government, representatives of Kinki Nippon Tourist, Vaishali Travels and other members of the visiting delegation.