New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) The governments of India and Japan, in cooperation with their respective stakeholders, will celebrate 2027 as the ‘India–Japan Year of Shared Horizons’, recalling 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Thursday.

Both sides will work together in planning and holding commemorative programmes throughout the year and across the nations, with particular participation of the youth of both countries.

According to the MEA, the week of April 28, 2027 will be designated as the India–Japan Week to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations through coordinated outreach activities.

A logo and theme competition will also be launched, inviting the people of both countries to envision the future of the India–Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

‘IMAGE-75: Manga, Anime, Gaming’ partnership will be launched to support people-to-people exchanges and promote co-creation in such areas, building on the growing resonance of Japanese manga, anime and gaming among Indian youth and India’s emergence as a major hub for animation, gaming, comics and immersive creative technologies.

A Buddhist delegation from Japan will be invited to India to undertake a spiritual tour of the important Buddhist sites. Such initiatives will serve to highlight the civilisational and spiritual ties between India and Japan and promote Buddhist tourism from Japan to India.

‘RASA-75’ will be launched as a year-long India–Japan arts and culture journey celebrating the colours, sounds, movements and living traditions of both countries, bringing together performing, visual and traditional arts practitioners, cultural institutions, and young creators from both countries.

‘SPORT-75’ will be launched to promote human exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sports, taking note of India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.

An India–Japan Friendship cricket match will also be organised during the ‘Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026’ as a curtain-raiser to the 75th anniversary celebrations.

“Both sides will launch Cricket Kizuna-75, under which two coaches from India will visit Japan for conducting a week-long cricket bootcamp for budding Japanese cricketers, further strengthening youth and sporting exchanges between India and Japan,” noted the MEA.

–IANS

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