In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hosted by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for a private dinner at his holiday home in the picturesque Yamanashi prefecture on October 28, perhaps the first such reception being extended to a foreign leader.
Modi will pay a two-day visit to Japan from October 28-29 to hold the annual India-Japan summit with Abe. The focus of the visit will be to further expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, carry out joint infrastructure projects in third countries and further boost ties key sectors like defence and trade.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, briefing reporters on Modi's visit, said Abe will take his Indian counterpart to his personal home in Yamanashi for a private dinner on Sunday following which both the leaders will travel to Tokyo by train.
Yamanashi, at a distance of around 110 KM from Tokyo, is surrounded by several mountains including Mount Fuji — the country's tallest peak at around 3,776 metres.
"This is very special gesture PM Abe is making. We believe this is the first time a foreign leader is visiting PM Abe's holiday home," Gokhale said, referring to the dinner for Modi.