Yogi Adityanath’s Japan Visit: Green Hydrogen Pact and 501 km/h Train Ride Boost India-Japan Ties

Uttar Pradesh took a decisive step in deepening India-Japan cooperation as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture on green hydrogen technology during his official visit.

Addressing the UP Investment Roadshow in Yamanashi, the Chief Minister described the agreement as a milestone moment for bilateral collaboration, signalling a future built on clean energy, advanced mobility and high-technology exchange.

"We are confident that the cooperation between Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi will take India-Japan relations to new heights and play a vital role in achieving energy self-sufficiency and disseminating technology to the general public," he said.

The MoU ensures that students from Uttar Pradesh’s higher technical institutions will receive advanced training in Japan, with green hydrogen technology to be implemented across industry, public transport and energy sectors in the state.

How will green hydrogen and IIT Kanpur power UP’s energy future?

Linking the partnership to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s net-zero vision, Adityanath emphasised that green hydrogen could be central to Uttar Pradesh’s energy transformation.

"I am confident that this green hydrogen technology can play a major role in advancing Prime Minister Modi's mission to achieve Uttar Pradesh's energy self-sufficiency," he stated.

Referring to a proposal made during the Yamanashi Governor’s earlier visit to India, the Chief Minister highlighted a major initiative to develop Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur as a Centre of Excellence.

"Following the initiative initiated by the Governor during his visit to Uttar Pradesh, we have launched a major program to develop IIT Kanpur as a Centre of Excellence. I am confident that this green hydrogen technology can play a major role in advancing Prime Minister Modi's mission to achieve Uttar Pradesh's energy self-sufficiency", he said.

The Chief Minister also underlined Uttar Pradesh’s transformation over the past nine years.

"Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh has reached new heights of development, having successfully tripled its per capita income and economy in the last nine years. Today, Uttar Pradesh is among India's fastest-growing economies," he said.

Highlighting governance reforms, he added that the state had moved from a reactive to a proactive model, aggressively pursuing investment, technological adoption and global partnerships.

What did CM Yogi experience aboard Japan’s SCMAGLEV?

In a powerful symbol of technological collaboration, Adityanath took a test ride on Japan’s cutting-edge SCMAGLEV train on the Yamanashi Maglev Line.

Developed by the Central Japan Railway Company, the superconducting magnetic levitation system eliminates friction by lifting the train above the tracks, enabling speeds exceeding 600 km/h. It famously set a world record of 603 km/h in 2015.

Sharing his experience, the Chief Minister said:
"You can see that I was travelling at 501 km/h. Experienced Japan's advanced SCMAGLEV train in Yamanashi... the ride was smooth and remarkably stable even at extraordinary speed, reflecting Japan's commitment to innovation and long-term infrastructure excellence," he stated.

He further remarked, "when technology moves at this speed, the future feels closer than ever".

Calling it the future of clean, efficient and precision mobility, Adityanath’s ride underscored Uttar Pradesh’s growing interest in adopting advanced rail technologies for India’s transport evolution.

How does this visit build on the Modi-Abe vision?

The Chief Minister credited the Japanese government and Yamanashi’s leadership for strengthening ties originally envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"I am very delighted that the Japanese government and the Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture are playing a significant role in strengthening the relationship between Japan and India," he said.

In another statement, he added: "I am very delighted that the Japanese government and the Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture are playing a significant role in strengthening the relationship between Japan and India, and in advancing the efforts made by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," UP CM Yogi Adityanath said.

The visit included Government-to-Government (G2G) and Government-to-Business (G2B) meetings in Tokyo, interactions with Japanese industry groups in collaboration with the Indian Embassy, and extensive investment discussions.

Present at the engagements were Lieutenant Governor Junichi Ishidera, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta, Indian Ambassador to Japan Nagma Malik, members of the Uttar Pradesh delegation, Yamanashi industry representatives and members of the Indian community.

With green hydrogen cooperation formalised and high-speed mobility experienced first-hand, Uttar Pradesh’s Japan visit has laid the groundwork for a technology-driven partnership aimed at reshaping energy, infrastructure and innovation ties between India and Japan.

(With inputs from ANI)