LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday pitched the state’s Buddhist and spiritual heritage and the shared cultural traditions of India and Japan as a foundation for a deeper, long-term partnership with the Yamanashi Prefecture.
Yamanashi is one of the 47 prefectures in Japan. A prefecture is equivalent to a state in India. Addressing the Uttar Pradesh-Japan Investment Summit 2026 here in the presence of Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki, Deputy Governor Junichi Ishidera and a Japanese delegation of senior officials and industry representatives,
Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh had “immense possibilities” in tourism and that Japanese tourists already had a strong presence in India. “Our effort is to promote tourism for tourists coming from Japan through the Buddhist Circuit,” he said, adding that an MoU had also been signed for the purpose.
Adityanath described UP as a major spiritual tourism hub with significant potential in Buddhist and spiritual heritage. He said UP would participate in tourism festivals organised in Japan to showcase India’s culture, spiritual heritage and hospitality. The chief minister said India and Japan had preserved their heritage and traditions as part of their daily lives and work cultures.
Adityanath began his speech by greeting the guests with “Konnichiwa minasan” (hello/namaste) and concluded his address with “Arigatou Gozaimasu” (thank you very much).