Lucknow: August 21: Uttar Pradesh Government is taking significant steps to give its rapidly expanding Buddhist tourism sector a global identity. In this endeavor, Japan is being seen as a natural and important partner for the state. Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said during an interaction with a delegation from Yamanashi Prefecture on Friday that “Yamanashi can play an important role in connecting Japanese tourists with the Buddhist and spiritual destinations of Uttar Pradesh.”
The program was held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan (IGP) in Lucknow. The Yamanashi delegation, led by Governor Kotaro Nagasaki and Deputy Governor Junichi Ishidera, participated in the interaction. Senior officials of UP Government and representatives of the tourism industry discussed ways to translate the deep cultural ties between the two regions into tourism activities and institutional cooperation.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said, “Under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath, the approach towards developing Buddhist tourism in UP has undergone a major transformation since 2017. Government’s focus is no longer limited to the development of monuments. Equal emphasis is being placed on better connectivity, tourist facilities, accommodation and an enhanced visitor experience.”
He said strong infrastructure has been developed at key destinations on Buddhist Circuit and government’s next priority is to connect this development with international tourism markets.
“The legacy of Lord Buddha has connected the people of India and Japan culturally and spiritually for centuries. Therefore, Japan is a natural and important partner for Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Minister Jaiveer Singh said Yamanashi can play a significant role in connecting Japanese tourists with Uttar Pradesh. He said the state government intends to develop Yamanashi as a strong gateway for Uttar Pradesh tourism in Japan.
At the same time, efforts are being made to establish Uttar Pradesh as a natural destination for Japanese tourists interested in Buddhism, spirituality, wellness and Indian culture. Destinations such as Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi and Sankisa connect visitors with different chapters of Lord Buddha’s life and journeys.
Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs Department, Amrit Abhijat, said Uttar Pradesh is emerging as an attractive destination for investors not only because of its rich cultural and spiritual heritage, but also due to its rapid economic growth and strengthening infrastructure.
He said the state has made rapid progress in highways, civil aviation, industry and investment. Uttar Pradesh is also home to six major destinations associated with Lord Buddha, offering Japanese tourists an opportunity to experience peace and spirituality along with the state’s rich cultural heritage.
He remarked the Japanese delegation's decision to advance its visit to UP ahead of the originally scheduled program was a positive sign of growing dialogue and strengthening ties between Uttar Pradesh and Japan.
Amrit Abhijat invited Japanese investors to explore opportunities in Uttar Pradesh’s tourism sector and invest in developing new tourism products and experiences.
Yoshiyuki Koizumi, Director General, Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Yamanashi, appreciated the diversity of UP’s tourism offerings and the warm welcome extended to the delegation.
He stated, “Uttar Pradesh offers a unique confluence of heritage, spirituality, natural beauty and culture.” He added that deep cultural and spiritual connections between Yamanashi and Uttar Pradesh can provide a strong foundation for promoting tourism, people-to-people exchanges and greater mutual understanding between the two regions.
The interaction also explored practical opportunities and requirements for increasing tourist movement between Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi.
Prateek Hira, Founder and CEO of Tornos and Chairman of FICCI Tourism Committee, said, “The shared cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh and Japan provides a natural foundation for tourism cooperation.” He noted that Uttar Pradesh is the land of Lord Buddha. At the same time, Japanese culture also reflects reverence for Indian deities and traditions, including Shiva, Ganesha, Saraswati, Kubera, Lakshmana and even Lord Krishna.
He remarked Yamanashi is known as Japan’s “Fruit Bowl”, while Uttar Pradesh’s strong agricultural identity provides another area of commonality between the two regions. He added that nearly two lakh Indians travel to Japan every year, indicating significant potential for expanding tourism in both directions.
During the session, Rajan Kumar of Tabizuki India Private Limited said Uttar Pradesh’s hospitality traditions and cuisine can serve as important mediums for strengthening cultural connections with Japanese tourists. He said India’s rich history and diversity, Uttar Pradesh’s hospitality traditions and Lucknow’s renowned cuisine could be combined with Japan’s celebrated food culture to create new tourism opportunities.
The tourism interaction also focused on developing hospitality facilities suited to Japanese visitors' needs and preferences.
Neha Rai of Lotus Nikko said, “Reliability, timely services and food are particularly important for Japanese tourists.” She said her group operates hotels in Shravasti and Kushinagar and has experience catering to the Japanese tourist market. To support the convenience of Japanese tourists traveling along the Buddhist Circuit, these hotels also offer Japanese cuisine.
Hina Shiraz Zaidi, Director of Shiraz Tours, said interest in tourism between the two countries is steadily increasing. Young Indian travellers, in particular, are showing growing interest in Japanese culture, cuisine, cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji and the country’s modern tourism attractions. She said school group visits can also play an important role in strengthening cultural understanding and people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Special Secretary and Director of Tourism Mridul Chaudhary said the UP Government is strengthening tourism facilities and infrastructure required for the next phase of Buddhist tourism.
He stated that under the State Plan, 51 tourism projects are being implemented at Buddhist destinations at a cost of more than ₹218 crore. Meanwhile, an integrated tourism development plan for Sarnath and Kushinagar is being taken forward with World Bank assistance, while large-scale development has been proposed in Shravasti under SASCI.
He informed that the department is working to develop tourism facilities, destination interpretation, hospitality services and seamless connectivity between various Buddhist sites in an integrated manner, enabling tourists to experience the entire Buddhist Circuit as one complete journey rather than as a series of separate destinations.
The growing number of visitors to UP’s Buddhist destinations has further strengthened the prospects for international tourism cooperation.
The six major Buddhist tourism destinations in the state recorded 22.4 lakh tourists in 2022, which increased to more than 81.8 lakh in 2025. During the same period, the number of foreign tourists increased from 48,000 to around 4.43 lakh.
In 2026, between January and June alone, more than 30.07 lakh tourists visited major destinations on the Buddhist Circuit, including 2.02 lakh foreign tourists.
A significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for tourism cooperation was signed between the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi Prefecture. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh were present.
Under the MoU, the two sides will cooperate on knowledge and expertise exchange in tourism, joint promotional campaigns, networking among tourism industry stakeholders, development of religious and cultural tourism routes, and increasing tourist movement between the two regions.
The agreement specifically includes Buddhist, spiritual and wellness tourism. Joint promotional campaigns, exhibitions, seminars and digital content will also be used to promote tourism in both regions.
The MoU also includes an agreement to raise awareness about the UNESCO World Heritage values associated with Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and Fujisan in Japan.
Going forward, the two regions will explore cooperation in areas including better interpretation of Buddhist heritage, multilingual tourist facilities, meditation and wellness tourism, hospitality, cultural exchanges, professional training and knowledge transfer.
Japanese delegation’s visit to Uttar Pradesh has been specially designed to showcase the state’s diverse tourism offerings.
After visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra and experiencing the cultural traditions of Braj, followed by tourism and industry interactions in Lucknow, the Japanese delegation will travel to Varanasi and Sarnath.
In Varanasi and Sarnath, the delegation will experience the spiritual traditions of Kashi, the Ganga Aarti and the Buddhist heritage of Sarnath, offering Japanese guests an opportunity to connect with the centuries-old cultural and spiritual relationship between India and Japan.
