I think we have all seen a phenomenon—one that now has a name: Nupur Tewari. She is such a remarkable entrepreneur, isn’t she? A self-made person, not from a privileged background, with limited knowledge about Japan. Yet she set foot in Matsuyama, Ehime—of all places in Japan—and the rest is what you all know. Without her, we wouldn’t be here. Without her, Finance Minister Katayama, a strong leader, would not have been here. And I am here only because of her. So thank you, Nupur Tewari. Please join me in appreciating what she has done so far.

I am not exaggerating. I am a great admirer of Nupur Tewari, who is making advancement after advancement in Japan, continuously enriching her already strong network. Now, I am here instead of Shinzo Abe. At about this time of the year, it is important for us to once again remember who he was and what he did for Indo-Japanese relations. It was in the summer of 2007—nineteen years ago in August—when his physical condition was at its worst. He made a journey to India, and thanks to his already friendly relationship with Manmohan Singh, then Prime Minister of India, he was given the opportunity to address the Members of Parliament in Delhi.

I had the privilege of working with him on drafting that speech, and it was extremely well received by the Members of Parliament—so much so that he remembered it for the rest of his life. In that speech, he began by quoting one of India’s most important intellectual leaders, Swami Vivekananda: “Different streams from different rivers all mingle together in the sea.”

This was originally delivered to the Chicago World Parliament of Religions. When he said this in the Central Hall of the Indian Parliament, people were astonished. Here was someone who understood India far more deeply than expected. That was exactly the intention—to shape an image of a Japanese leader who was willing to take Indo-Japanese relations higher and higher. While writing that speech, I spent many sleepless nights. During that process, I came across a book by Dara Shikoh, one of the Mughal princes. Its title was *Confluence of the Two Seas*—and it was perfectly appropriate. I chose that as the title of Shinzo Abe’s speech in August 2007, and the rest is history.

That speech is widely regarded as the genesis of the Indo-Pacific concept. Before that, we used the term Asia-Pacific. In the 1980s, Australia and Japan promoted the idea of the Asia-Pacific region, which led to institutions such as APEC. However, by 2007, when Shinzo Abe visited India, China had already overtaken Japan economically, and India had begun its growth trajectory. The Asia-Pacific framework no longer fully captures the reality of regional dynamics or India’s rise. So we introduced a broader concept: two oceans coming together into one shared seascape.

The term “seascape” was chosen deliberately. When viewed from this region, China represents a land-based power. Japan, however, is an island nation and a trading nation. And beyond China lies another maritime democracy—India. To expand Japan’s strategic horizon, India has been—and will continue to be—one of its most important partners. Back in 2007, not many in Japan saw it that way. I remember discussing it with colleagues at the Foreign Ministry. There was little long-term vision, and frankly, a sense of fatigue.

They felt dealing with India was not easy—too demanding, too talkative. So many in the ministry had already become “India-fatigued.” I thought: this is a golden opportunity. If there is no creative direction, then I can help fill that gap. The speech I worked on with Shinzo Abe was a rare accomplishment. I did not have to rewrite it repeatedly, which is usually the case with prime ministerial speeches. While preparing it, I reflected on the long-standing civilizational links between Japan and India—especially Bengal. Swami Vivekananda was from Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore was from Bengal, and Japanese intellectual Okakura Tenshin also had deep connections with Bengali thinkers.

There was already rich intellectual soil for Japan–India relations to grow. Looking back, I should not be the one standing here today. It should have been the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaking about this long-term vision himself. By speaking of the “Confluence of the Two Seas” and drawing from India’s classical intellectual traditions, he was investing in the future of India. For him, India represented the future. He believed that in 20–30 years, India’s economy could overtake China’s. And India, at its core, will remain what it is—a democracy. For Japan, it is far more meaningful to work closely with India than with an uncertain regional giant whose direction is unpredictable.

Dr Tomohiko Taniguchi

Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi was Special Advisor to the Late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Currently, he is a Specially Appointed Professor at the University of Tsukuba and a special advisor to the Fujitsu Future Studies Center. This is from a speech he delivered at the Rising India-2 Conclave organised by the Connect-India Japan Foundation in Tokyo on June 17.