‘Relationship of Trust’: Yogi Unveils Abe Memorial Corridor in Kashi

• Yogi unveils Abe Memorial Corridor in Varanasi.
• CM recalls Modi-Abe friendship built on trust.
• India-Japan ties expanding into technology and green energy.
• Akie Abe remembers her husband’s deep bond with Modi.

GG News Bureau
Varanasi, 8th Oct: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday described the friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a relationship built on trust rather than political positions, as he inaugurated the Abe Memorial Corridor at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre in Varanasi.

Yogi unveiled the corridor along with Akie Abe, the former First Lady of Japan and wife of Shinzo Abe, dedicating the memorial to the late Japanese leader on the occasion of Prime Minister Modi completing 25 years in public life.

Calling the memorial a tribute from the people of Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi and 140 crore Indians, Yogi said the bond between Modi and Abe remained unchanged even as their official positions evolved.

“Positions changed, but the friendship did not,” Yogi said, recalling the close relationship between the two leaders.

He said the inauguration held particular significance as October 7 marked 25 years since Modi first took oath as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2001. Yogi described the opening of a memorial dedicated to Modi’s friend Abe on the same occasion as a remarkable coincidence.

From Gujarat to Kashi, a friendship that shaped ties
Yogi recalled Modi’s first meeting with Abe during his 2007 visit to Japan as Gujarat Chief Minister.

He referred to Abe’s address to the Indian Parliament that year, in which the Japanese leader spoke of the mutual importance of a strong India and a strong Japan.

Yogi also highlighted the Kashi-Kyoto partnership agreement in 2014 and Abe’s visit to Varanasi in 2015, when he joined Modi for the Ganga Aarti.

The two leaders later laid the foundation stone for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project in Ahmedabad in 2017. In 2018, Abe invited Modi to his private residence in Yamanashi.

Yogi said such personal ties between leaders can evolve into stronger bonds of trust between nations.

Recalling Abe’s association with India, Yogi noted that the former Japanese Prime Minister was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2021.

He also recalled Modi’s visit to Tokyo in September 2022 to pay his final respects to Abe and India observing national mourning following his death.

“That was not protocol, it was a relationship,” Yogi said.

India-Japan ties moving into new areas
Yogi said India-Japan relations had expanded beyond traditional areas of cooperation and were now reaching sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green hydrogen and critical minerals.

He said Japan brought technology and experience while India offered talent and a young workforce.

Referring to his visit to Japan earlier this year, Yogi said agreements involving investments worth thousands of crores were reached with Japanese companies in Tokyo and Yamanashi.

He also recalled seeing Japan’s high-speed maglev technology and said Yamanashi had now become an energy partner for Uttar Pradesh in green hydrogen.

Japanese city planned near Noida airport
Yogi said a Japanese City was being developed across 500 acres in the YEIDA region near Noida International Airport and that an Yamanashi desk had also been established at Invest UP.

He said Japan’s strength in precision engineering and Uttar Pradesh’s scale, large market, young workforce, expressways and airport network could create new opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation.

Yogi noted that 2027 will mark 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations, describing the Abe Memorial Corridor as an early offering ahead of that milestone.

‘Japan’s faith passes through Uttar Pradesh’
Drawing a cultural connection between the two countries, Yogi said Japan’s identity as the “Land of the Rising Sun” and Uttar Pradesh’s association with the “Land of the Sun Dynasty” reflected a shared civilisational connection.

He pointed to Buddhist sites including Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kapilvastu, Shravasti, Kaushambi and Sankisa, saying they remain closely connected with Japan’s Buddhist heritage.

Yogi also drew a parallel between Kashi and Kyoto, describing both as cities that have sought to preserve their heritage while embracing development.

He said the Abe Memorial Corridor would serve as a living classroom for younger generations, allowing visitors to learn how visionary leadership and personal trust can influence relations between countries.

Akie Abe recalls husband’s bond with Modi
Akie Abe became emotional while recalling her late husband’s close relationship with Prime Minister Modi.

She said Abe had shared warm memories of his 2015 visit to Kashi, particularly the Ganga Aarti and his experiences in Varanasi. She said she had also wished to visit the city and believed her husband would have been happy to see a memorial dedicated to him.

Akie Abe also praised the design of the Rudraksh Convention Centre, noting that its exterior features 108 rudraksha beads, a number that also holds significance in Japan, where Buddhist temples traditionally ring bells 108 times at the beginning of the New Year.

Yogi presented Akie Abe with a peacock memento crafted in Varanasi’s traditional Gulabi Meenakari art.