Japan Prime Minister Archives - Lokmarg

G20: Delegates Embrace Indian Fashion, Japan First Lady Dons A Saree

By LokMarg 9th September 2023

From Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s wife Yuko Kishida to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, several top foreign dignitaries donned traditional Indian ensembles at the G-20 Dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday night.

For the special occasion, all guests were dressed to the nines. Many opted to embrace Indian fashion in special ways.

IMF Chief Georgieva arrived at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi for the G-20 Dinner in a purple ethnic suit that she paired with a golden dupatta.

She looked exquisite in Indian wear.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s wife Yuko Kishida wore a beautiful green saree. She complemented her outfit with a pink blouse.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s wife Tshepo Motsepe donned an Indo-western outfit. She tied her hair in a bun and accessorised it with a gajra.

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar came for the dinner in a black bandhgala suit. His wife Kobita Jugnauth looked gorgeous in a saree.

Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, exuded ethnic charm in a saree teamed with a pearl necklace.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty added a traditional touch to her modern outfit.

Before the start of the dinner, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly welcomed world leaders at a dias, set against a backdrop depicting the ruins of the Nalanda University in Bihar and India’s G20 presidency theme — ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

PM Modi wore a white kurta and churidar. He elevated his look with a blue V-neck striped jacket. President Murmu donned a traditional beige saree with a contrasting turquoise border.

Prior to the dinner, PM Modi met world leaders at the inaugural session of the two-day G20 Summit. (ANI)

Japan PM Vows To Keep World Leaders Safe

By LokMarg 16th April 2023

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed on Sunday to keep world leaders safe during Group of Seven (G7) meetings in Japan, CNN reported. Kishida’s statement comes a day after a man threw what appeared to be a “smoke bomb” at him during a campaign speech in Wakayama.

“Japan as a whole must strive to provide maximum security during the dates of the summit (in Hiroshima next month) and other gatherings of dignitaries from around the world,” Kishida said on Sunday, reported CNN. His remarks came as G7 Foreign Ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Sunday began three days of talks in the Karuizawa region of Nagano prefecture.
On Saturday, a small explosive device was thrown at the venue where Kishida was about to make a speech to showcase support for the ruling party’s candidate in a by-election in Wakayama. Kishida was evacuated unhurt from the venue in Wakayama.

The attack has caused shockwaves in Japan and drawn comparisons with the assassination of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in July last year, as per the news report. He was shot in July last year during a campaign speech in the Nara region of Japan.

Campaigning has started for Japan’s nationwide local elections. Speaking to reporters from his official residence in Tokyo, Kishida vowed that the attack will not affect the democratic process in Japan. He said, “Violent acts taking place during elections, which are the basis of democracy, can never be tolerated.”

“What is important is to carry through this election to the end. It is important for our country and for our democracy that the voice of the voters is clearly expressed through the election,” Kishida said, as per the CNN report.

A man had been arrested after throwing “what appeared to be a smoke bomb,” CNN reported citing Kyodo News. Meanwhile, police in Japan have been carrying out a search at the home of a man who threw an apparent pipe bomb prior to the speech by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, NHK World-Japan reported.

Police urged residents in the neighborhood to stay away as explosives were used in the incident on Saturday. The police have arrested Kimura Ryuji on the spot on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.

Kimura Ryuji is a 24-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture, as per the news report. The suspect reportedly said that he will only submit to questioning in the presence of his lawyers.

An investigative source revealed that one cylindrical object was connected with what is believed to be a wire, NHK World-Japan reported. According to investigators, two such objects were found at the site – one exploded while the suspect had other when he was subdued.

As per the news report, investigators have been analyzing the structure of the explosive devices, suspecting that the devices could have been iron pipe bombs. (ANI)

Japan PM Kishida To Visit India For 3 Days From March 19

By LokMarg 3rd March 2023

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to visit India later this month for talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi, a government source said on Friday, even as Tokyo holds the presidency of the Group of Seven nations this year, the Nikkei Asia reported.

Kishida’s trip to India, currently chair of the Group of 20 economies for 2023, would come weeks after his government did not send Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to a meeting of the G-20 top diplomats, held for two days through Thursday in New Delhi.

Hayashi’s absence triggered a backlash that Japan’s decision not to dispatch the country’s foreign minister to the G-20 gathering could cast a shadow over relations between the two Asian nations.

Nikkei Asia reported that Kishida, who is likely to visit India for three days from March 19, has been eager to confirm with Modi that Tokyo and New Delhi, as this year’s G-7 and G-20 presidents, will work together more closely to tackle issues stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine, the source said.

In tandem with other G-7 members, Japan has been bolstering economic sanctions on Russia. But India has abstained from implementing punitive measures against Russia.

India has also emerged as a key nation of the “Global South,” a term that collectively refers to developing countries in areas such as Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Nikkei Asia reported that Kishida has been keen to deepen ties with such countries to pave the way for the success of the G-7 in-person summit scheduled for May in Japan’s western city of Hiroshima, which was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in World War II, the source said.

During the envisioned meeting, Kishida is expected to invite Modi to participate in the G-7 summit, the source added.

Along with the G-7, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, the G-20 also includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. (ANI)

State Funeral Of Abe To Be Held On Sept 27

By LokMarg 25th September 2022

The state funeral of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on July 8 in the city of Nara during a campaign speech, will take place on September 27 and is expected to see thousands of attendees.

According to Japan Times, representatives from over 217 countries and international organizations are expected to participate in the state funeral which is slated to start at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo.
Abe’s funeral on September 27 will be the second state funeral for a former prime minister since World War 2. The first one was held in 1967 for Shigeru Yoshida. Other deceased prime ministers received a joint Cabinet Office and Liberal Democratic Party service.

The state funeral ceremony will be the first major public event since new police security guidelines were implemented, including sniffer dogs at train stations and police patrols at Tokyo-area airports after Abe’s assassination on July 8.

Several foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the funeral service in Tokyo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and separately meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Japan Times reported quoting the Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno who told a news conference Wednesday that the funeral planning committee has decided to set aside two flower offering stands in the park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the funeral, however the area around the Nippon Budokan will be off-limits to anyone other than invited guests due to security concerns.

The funeral service will likely last for approximately one-and-a-half hours following which the national anthem of the country will be played, observing silence for the late Prime Minister.

As chair of the funeral committee, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will deliver a commemorative speech that will then be followed by the speeches of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hiroyuki Hosoda; Speaker of the House of Councilors, Hidehisa Otsuji; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Saburo Tokura; and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as a representative of Abe’s closest colleagues, Japan Times reported.

Furthermore, the royal family of Japan will also pay tributes to Abe at his state funeral, however, maintaining the line of tradition, Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko will not be attending the funeral, and their imperial envoys will pay their respects.

Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, will lay flowers of condolence, followed by other attendees, Japan Times stated citing sources.

The ceremony will finish with the sending off of Abe’s remains and the placing of remembrance wreaths.

Abe was shot on July 8 in the Japanese city of Nara. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet).

The attacker reportedly plotted the assassination of the 67-year-old former head of government for nearly a year.

Abe sustained two gunshot wounds to the front of his neck and the bullet that killed him damaged his heart and a major artery, causing blood loss, Hidetada Fukushima, the head of emergency services at Nara Medical University Hospital said.

Doctors attempted a blood transfusion after they were unable to stop the bleeding, Dr Fukushima said. Shinzo Abe arrived at a hospital without any vital signs after being shot during a campaign speech in western Japan.

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida. (ANI)