"Moshi, moshi": PM Modi tweets in Japanese ahead of visit

Ahead of his visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday tweeted in Japanese to strike a chord with the Japanese people whose “scale of innovation” he admired.

In a series of tweets in Japanese, Modi talked about his forthcoming visit and said he looks forward to visiting Japan and recalled his warm memories of visiting the country as chief minister of Gujarat.

Modi said he would be visiting Tokyo and Kyoto and will interact with all sections of Japanese society. “Scale of innovation and level of precision among the people of Japan is admirable,” he said in one of his tweets at PMO India.

On his personal Twitter handle @narendramodi, the PM said friends from Japan had asked him to talk to the people of Japan “directly” in Japanese. “I also thank them for helping with the translation,” he said.

In a statement earlier this week, Modi had said that he was keenly looking forward to the trip beginning August 30 to take the “time-tested” bilateral ties to a new level and increase cooperation in various fields.

Modi, who will be embarking on his first bilateral visit outside the subcontinent since becoming the PM in May, had said that he was “excited” to meet his counterpart Shinzo Abe whose leadership he deeply respects.

“On 30th August, I will begin my visit to Japan. I am keenly looking forward to the visit which will boost relations between our two nations,” he had said in the statement.

“I see the Japan visit as an opportunity to take our ties with Japan to a new level and increase cooperation in various fields,” Modi had said. 

Underlining that Japan’s friendship with India is “time-tested”, he had said, “We are two vibrant democracies committed to advancing peace and prosperity in the world.”

He noted that he was to visit Japan in early July but could not due to Parliament session.