Consul-General's Message (2020)

Welcome to the official website of the Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata.

I am NAKAMURA Yutaka. This is my first assignment in India, a country renowned for its unity in diversity. I am happy to assume my office as Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata, which is one of the oldest diplomatic establishments, set up in 1907, 113 years ago. I moved here from Atlanta, USA, where I was the Deputy Consul-General. Prior to that, I have worked in San Francisco, Australia, Fiji, Ghana, Uganda and Bangladesh.

Kolkata has a legacy of being the cultural hub of India and a gateway to intellectual and cultural exchanges between India and Japan. Way back in 1902, Japanese scholar and philosopher, Tenshin Okakura, came to Kolkata and met with Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and his family members along with other intellectuals of that era. This was followed by the visit of eminent Japanese painter, Yokoyama Taikan, to Kolkata when he interacted with eminent Indian painters including Abanindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore’s maiden visit to Japan took place in 1916 which was followed by the visit of another famous Japanese painter, Kampo Arai to Kolkata and Santiniketan.  The bard visited Japan 5 times and played a crucial role in developing India-Japan bilateral relations. Apart from Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is also well known in Japan who led the Nationalist Movement in India and Justice Radhabinod Pal is revered for his dissenting judgement at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

For the Kolkata Consulate office, the jurisdiction covers the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. Geographically, these eastern states are the nearest to Japan and serve as a gateway to the other Asian countries.

I am happy to mention that Japan and India now enjoy excellent relations as “Special Strategic and Global Partner” whereby political, security, economic and cultural relations are strengthening.

Today, India-Japan relations have further deepened and prospered in various facets. I am very happy to see the positive developments in the recent past through various dialogues, consultations and agreements. Japanese investment in India has augmented remarkably and I strongly believe that eastern India will soon turn into a highly attractive zone for Japanese investors.

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 infection has affected all countries and rapidly spread throughout the world, and thus poses a new challenge for all of us. I sincerely hope, that each country will work together to overcome COVID-19 as soon as possible, and that exchanges between Japan and India will continue more actively than ever.

Thank you very much.

NAKAMURA Yutaka
Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata