Why did PM Modi call Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi his 'younger sister'? REAL reason is...

Japan PM Sanae Takaichi on Thursday (July 2) met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on her first official visit to the country after becoming her country's first woman PM. Takaichi and Modi's bilateral meeting paved way for a new era of Japan-India relations with a 16-point roadmap that includes collaboration in defence, critical minerals, energy security and artificial intelligence. The meeting also resulted in Japan's commitment of JPY 10 trillion (approximately ₹5.5 lakh crore) in private investment into India over the next decade. As the two leaders issued a press statement, the moment of PM Modi calling Takaichi “beautiful younger sister” went viral.

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WATCH WHAT PM MODI SAID:

In response, the Japan PM cheerfully said that she agreed with PM Modi. Beginning with a smile and a ‘namaste’, Takaichi said that they are brother and sister who are on the same page when they talk about issues in the world and she is very happy to be in India.

Watch: PM Modi, Japan PM Sanae Takaichi exchange warm handshake as India-Japan summit begins: What it signifies

Real reason for PM Modi's ‘younger sister’ remark

While PM Modi is known for making personal rapport with world leaders, there is a side story to why exactly he called Takaichi “younger sister.” Though, Takaichi succeeded Shigeru Ishiba as Prime Minister of Japan in 2025, the first woman PM of Japan considers herself as a political successor of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was her primary political mentor and the architect of the conservative ideology in Japanese polics - that she asserts via her vision. Abe was assassinated on July 8, 2022 in Nara, the constituency of Takaichi.

Now, for those who don't know, Abe and Modi shared an exceptional persona bond and it was under him that India-Japan relations flourished. Abe visited India four times - more than any other Japanese PM. While his two visits came during the tenure of former late PM Manmohan Singh, he visited twice after Modi came to power in 2014. His landmark visits included delivering the iconic "Confluence of the Two Seas" address to the Indian Parliament in 2007. In 2015, Modi took him to Varanasi and they witnessed the Ganga Aarti and then signed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train agreement.

The relation between the two extended far beyond official diplomacy. Even during Singh's tenure when Abe visited India, he met Modi as Gujarat's Chief Minister. Modi and Abe's 8-km roadshow in Ahmedabad in 2017 became iconoc as it was the first time an Indian PM was holding such an event with a foreign leader. Then again in 2016, the duo was pictured riding the Shinkansen bullet train together in Japan, showcasing their bond beyond diplomacy. Even when Abe left office, they shared personal friendship. In recognition of his contribution to bilateral ties, India conferred the Padma Vibhushan on Abe in 2021. Following his assassination in 2022, India observed a national day of mourning, with Modi penning an emotional blog calling him a “best friend.” PM Modi also flew to Tokyo to attend his state funeral.

Thus, Modi calling Takaichi his ‘younger sister’ is his tribute to his late friend Abe - who is a political mentor to Takaichi.