Japan is in favour of strengthening ties with Nagaland: Envoy

Kohima: Japanese Ambassador to India, Hiroshi Suzuki, on Wednesday said his country is in favour of strengthening and expanding ties with Nagaland.

Japan and Nagaland have long-standing historical ties that go back to World War II, Suzuki said.

He was speaking as the chief guest of the sixth day of ‘Cultural Connect’, a cultural extravaganza of the tribes of Nagaland at the Hornbill Festival in Naga Heritage village Kisama here.

Suzuki expressed gratitude for the generosity the Nagas extended to the Japanese people who came here to collect the remains of their families after the war.

"We are grateful for the warmest support to the Japanese by the Naga people," he said.

Suzuki said, "We want to strengthen and expand our cooperation and the friendship that we enjoy between Nagaland and Japan."

Impressed by the beautiful dances and songs of the people of Nagaland, he said this is a testament of how to preserve one’s tradition and culture that were handed down by the forefathers.

Suzuki said he wants more Japanese people to visit Nagaland and be wowed by the Naga culture.

Stating that he is also in favour of more people of the state going to Japan, Suzuki said that Nagaland University and Japan have inked a Memorandum of Understanding in Kohima on Tuesday.

The MoU seeks to provide Japanese language education to enable Naga students to go to Japan to study and work there, he said.

The diplomat hoped that through such an initiative, people-to-people exchange would expand in the future.