Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was accorded a warm ceremonial welcome on the first day of his three-day visit to Japan on Thursday.
Dr Singh was presented a guard of honour and was received by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Kantei, his official residence.
The national anthems of the two countries were played and Dr Singh inspected a guard of honour, after which he was introduced to the guests present at the ceremony. The prime minister also mingled for some time with the children who had turned up to greet him.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari and Land Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba were among those who called on Dr Singh at the Four Seasons Hotel at Chinzan-so on Thursday morning.
Later in the day, Dr Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, will be received in an audience by the Emperor and Empress of Japan. After that, the prime minister will address a joint session of the Diet, the Japanese Parliament.
In the evening, Dr Singh will inaugurate the Festival of India in Japan at the Chinzan-so Complex. The prime ministers of the two nations will also unveil the joint logo of the India-Japan Friendship Year 2007.
