Shinzo Abe’s love of India: Visited India 3 times as Japanese PM; Performed Ganga Aarti in Varanasi, bowed before Bapu at Sabarmati Ashram

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday by an unidentified assailant. Shinzo’s condition is said to be critical. According to Japanese media, his chances of survival are slim. Shinzo Abe is one of the world leaders who have very good relations with India.

So far he has visited India five times. He first came to India in 2006 when he was the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan. He visited India in 2007 after becoming Prime Minister for the first time. During 2012 to 2020, he visited India three more times while being the Prime Minister for the second time. He is the first Japanese Prime Minister to have made so many visits to India.

Shinzo Abe was the first Japanese prime minister to attend the Republic Day parade as the chief guest. He participated in the 2014 parade.

In 2007, Shinzo came to India for the first time as Prime Minister. While addressing the Parliament here, he gave a speech named ‘Confluence of two seas’. This concept is now the cornerstone of Indo-Pacific relations and the strong ties between India and Japan. In the picture from left to right – Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, former Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari and former Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi.

After taking over as prime minister for the second time, on 26 January 2014, Shinzo Abe attended the 65th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. The picture features former President Pranab Mukherjee with Shinzo Abe.

This picture is from Shinzo Abe’s third visit to India in 2015. Shinzo Abe met PM Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

During his third visit to India, Shinzo Abe along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi. Here he also performed the aarti with the plate of worship in his hand. This picture was a hallmark of the deep relationship between India Shinzo Abe and PM Modi.

After attending the Ganga Aarti, the two leaders spent some kind of informal walk together. Shinzo Abe was seen showing something to PM Modi in his phone.

In September 2017, Shinzo Abe visited India for the fourth time. He had come to Gandhinagar in Gujarat to participate in the Indo-Japanese talks. PM Modi, who arrived at the airport to receive him, welcomed him with a hug.

After leaving the airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the roadshow with Shinzo Abe, breaking the official protocol.

Shinzo Abe and his wife Eki Abe arrive at the Sidi Sayed Mosque in Ahmedabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also with him here.

During the Ahmedabad visit, Shinzo Abe and PM Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by visiting the Sabarmati Ashram.