UP Festival in Japan Discussed for April–May-26

Pranam Paryatan Bureau 

Lucknow, January 28, 2026/  Uttar Pradesh and Japan are exploring new avenues of collaboration across tourism and culture, with a focus on wellness, sports tourism including golf, cuisine exchange, experiential Buddhist and cultural travel, and literary and knowledge based tourism. The discussions took place during a high level meet between a Japanese delegation from Yamanashi Prefecture led by Junichi Ishidera, Vice Governor (Deputy Governor) of Yamanashi Prefecture, and senior officials of the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Jaiveer Singh, Minister for Tourism and Culture.


Addressing the gathering in Lucknow on Wednesday, Jaiveer Singh said that culture remains one of the strongest bridges connecting India and Japan, rooted in shared values, ways of life and a deep Buddhist legacy. He said that while economic cooperation remains important, tourism and culture offer a more enduring foundation for long term engagement between the two regions.

The Minister said that Japan began its modern growth journey as early as 1868, while India and Uttar Pradesh today are at a stage where cooperation can meaningfully extend beyond trade and investment. He emphasised that Uttar Pradesh is keen to strengthen people to people connections with Japan by highlighting shared Buddhist heritage, spiritual traditions and experiential travel opportunities.


Referring to the state’s Buddhist legacy, Jaiveer Singh said that apart from Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh is home to some of the most significant Buddhist sites including Sarnath, Kushinagar and Kapilvastu. He noted that Uttar Pradesh holds a globally unique civilisational position as the only geography that brings together all major stages of the life of Lord Buddha within a single state, making it one of the most complete Buddhist pilgrimage landscapes anywhere in the world.


The Minister said that Uttar Pradesh is fully prepared to welcome Japanese tourists and investors with quality services, strong hospitality infrastructure, investor friendly policies, availability of land and attractive incentives. He specifically invited Japanese stakeholders to explore opportunities in wellness tourism, describing it as a sector of growing relevance in the present times.

Highlighting Japan’s contribution to global thought and lifestyle, Amrit Abhijat, ACS, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs referred to concepts such as ‘Ikigai’, ‘Wabi Sabi’, ‘Zen and Zazen’, noting that exchange in tourism, wellness and philosophy can be mutually enriching. He also pointed out that the continued presence of Japanese Buddhist institutions in Sarnath and Kushinagar reflects a deep spiritual continuity that has guided Indo-Japan cultural engagement for decades. He said tourism and culture should be viewed as essential tools for sustained engagement between Uttar Pradesh and Japan.


He also pointed to opportunities beyond hotels, including cuisine exchange, sports and learning based tourism. He said Uttar Pradesh has quality golf courses in cities such as Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi, opening avenues for sports tourism collaboration, given Japan’s long association with golf. He also spoke about the potential of literary exchange, medical tourism and cuisine led experiences.

Sharing outcomes of the discussions, Minister Jaiveer Singh said there is a strong possibility of organising a Uttar Pradesh Festival in Japan around April or May. He said such a festival could serve as an effective starting point to introduce the state’s culture, heritage and tourism potential to Japanese audiences and invite them to experience Uttar Pradesh firsthand.


On the occasion, Abhijat urged tour operators present to work towards developing curated travel packages for Japanese tourists visiting Uttar Pradesh and for travellers from Uttar Pradesh visiting Japan. He said structured itineraries and partnerships between tour operators would help translate policy intent into tangible tourism movement.

During the meeting, Eesha Priya, Special Secretary Tourism, made a presentation on tourism and cultural exchange possibilities between Uttar Pradesh and Japan, outlining areas of cooperation and future engagement.

This was followed by a cultural presentation by Dr Srishti Dhawan, Additional Director, Department of Culture, on the Chintz Collection housed at the State Museum, Lucknow. She also highlighted the presence of important Buddha sculptures in Uttar Pradesh, including representations in Abhaya Mudra and other forms found in Mathura and Sarnath, underlining the state’s civilisational and artistic links with Buddhism.


Sharing the Japanese perspective, Junichi Ishidera, Vice Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, said that since the signing of the MoU in December 2024, Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi Prefecture have engaged in a series of meaningful discussions reflecting a shared intent to build a strong and sustained partnership.

He said Yamanashi aims to serve as a ‘gateway for Uttar Pradesh in Japan’, promoting its tourism destinations and broader engagement.

Junichi Ishidera said the proposed visit of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh presents a significant opportunity and that a delegation of around 200 members is planned to visit Uttar Pradesh in August to advance business, youth, commercial, tourism and cultural exchanges. He said visits to Varanasi and other important locations would focus not only on their spiritual significance but also their wider cultural and policy relevance. He added that such large scale delegations are viewed as confidence building engagements, demonstrating Uttar Pradesh’s capability to host international groups with professionalism, cultural sensitivity and seamless coordination.


Remained present on the occasion were Neerendra Upadhyaya, Advisor to the Government of Yamanashi Prefecture; Sanada Takeyasu, Director International Strategy, Yamanashi Prefecture; Kazuya Miyazaki, Governor’s Policy Aide; Masakazu Utsugi, Assistant Director International Strategy, DG Tourism Dr Vedpati Mishra, Managing Director UPSTDC Ashish Kumar, Kirti, Deputy Director, Uttar Pradesh Tourism, senior officials from the Tourism and Culture Departments, members of the Japanese delegation, and a group of tour and travel operators from both sides.

It is noteworthy that the visit of the Yamanashi Prefecture delegation to Uttar Pradesh is part of a wider official programme involving interactions with senior leadership and multiple departments of the state government. During their visit, the delegation, apart from Departments of Tourism and Culture, is scheduled to hold meetings with the Chief Minister’s Office, Invest UP, UPNEDA and infrastructure and industrial development authorities, along with site visits in Noida and Varanasi. The engagements are aimed at advancing cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange, while also laying the groundwork for upcoming high level visits and large scale Japanese delegations to Uttar Pradesh in the coming period.