Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio leads Nagaland delegation to Japan, explores and strengthens bilateral collaboration

KOHIMA — Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is currently on an official visit to Japan, leading a state delegation to explore and enhance bilateral collaborations between Nagaland and various Japanese institutions and agencies.

Rio is accompanied by his wife; Advisor to the Chief Minister and Chairman of the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN), Abu Metha; Advisor for Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu; Secretary of Industries & Commerce Department, Kumar Ramnikant; and other officials.

Taking to social media, Rio thanked the embassy for its support in facilitating the visit and strengthening India-Japan relations. “Received a warm reception in Tokyo at the Embassy of India in Japan @IndianEmbTokyo, led by Ambassador Sibi George @AmbSibiGeorge,” he wrote.

He added that the delegation is scheduled to meet government officials, business leaders, development agencies, and NGOs, with the objective of deepening collaboration in various fields.

“The visit is aimed at enhancing our collaborations with Japan, creating opportunities for our youth, and initiating developmental partnerships, apart from strengthening 1.5-track diplomacy and increasing people-to-people contact,” Rio stated.

Meetings and MoU

In a series of updates on X, the Embassy of India in Japan (@IndianEmbTokyo) shared details of the delegation’s engagements.

One such meeting was with Masayoshi Hamajima, Chairman and Founder of ARMS Incorporation, at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo. The interaction focused on existing bilateral cooperation and explored future collaborations in human resources and sports development.

In another engagement, the Nagaland delegation held a meeting with officials from Kochi Prefecture and the Ministry of Forests and Fisheries, which culminated in the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of human resources.

The delegation also met with representatives of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, led by Executive Director Dr. Nobuko Kayashima. Discussions included current cooperation and future opportunities to foster exchanges between students and young leaders from Nagaland and Japan.

Also read: Nagaland government delegation in Japan to forge strategic partnerships

Further, Rio and his team engaged with members of the Japan-India Friendship Association, Nagano Prefecture. The association expressed interest in human resource exchange, particularly in the agricultural sector.

Among the dignitaries present were Jun Matsumoto (former Member of Parliament from Nagano), Masaki Yoshida, and Kenichi Kawani. Officials from Nomura Securities also attended the meeting and reportedly showed interest in potential projects in Nagaland.

Collaboration in animation

The delegation also met with leading anime production companies including AXON and Eclat Animal. The embassy shared that noted animation artist Toshiyuki Honda—creator of the popular character Doraemon—presented an artwork to the chief minister and discussed future collaborative opportunities. He was accompanied by Toyonaga Hitomi, CEO of Eclat Animal.

Erie Watanabe and Taeaki Tanaka of AXON proposed deeper collaboration on a global animation project with India. The team also held discussions with representatives from M/s Konnect Asia to explore further partnerships.