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dated August 5, 1952: India and Japan

Mr. Tsutomu Nishiyama, 67-year-old ex-banker, was named to head the Japanese diplomatic mission in New Delhi. The Ambassador-designate was not entirely a stranger to India. He had spent four years in Bombay over 30 years ago, as an employee of a Japanese bank there.

In an exclusive interview with the Press Trust of India, in his spacious special office at the Foreign Office in Tokyo, Mr. Nishiyama, repeatedly emphasised the need to work for this understanding "so that the political and economic relations of the two countries will be based on cordiality and congenial appreciation of our two peoples." He said he had very high regard for India's love of peace and her "spotless record of non-aggression" and expressed great admiration for India's stand in international relations. Speaking in fluent English, he emphasised that "it must be our common aim to work together for world peace and thus elevate the living standard of the masses of our peoples."He pointed out that in many ways the two countries faced similar problems. "India is a new republic and Japan, in a way, is also a newly-born nation. We need peace as much as you do to improve our living standards."

Enlarging on the need to bring about better understanding between the people of Japan and India, Mr. Nishiyama said: "National policies must be based on the peoples' understanding. Most Japanese don't understand Indian philosophy, the Indian way of thinking and Indian aspirations. The same is true vice versa, I guess. It is most important to bring about this understanding. When I go to India, although I am old, I will try to learn your way of thinking, your religions and your philosophy. And, I will do my best to see that your way of thinking is understood by the Japanese people at large also." Although there were many Japanese businessmen in India before the war, their interests had been limited to their own business activities, and very little, or no, effort had been made by them to study the Indian people, their philosophies or their aspirations. "The result is", he pointed out, "that the Japanese people are no wiser about India by the stay of these businessmen there. The whole approach of the Japanese people to India must be different," he declared.

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