Recent Current Affairs related to Japan

The 14th edition of India Chem 2026, a biennial event of the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoC&F), has been held in Mumbai under the theme “Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Chemicals Hub”.

The event is organised by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Union Minister JP Nadda has inaugurated the event and highlighted the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA) Rasayan Scheme as a major initiative to boost the chemical sector of India.

During the inaugural session, a knowledge paper prepared jointly by FICCI and Ernst & Young was released. It is to be noted that the government has set targets for the chemical industry of India to reach $300 billion by 2030, $1 trillion by 2040, and $1.6 trillion by 2047.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan have signed financing agreements with the Hyderabad-based AM Green Ammonia (India) Pvt Ltd, established by the founders of the Greenko Group, to develop one of the world’s largest renewable-powered green ammonia plants in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

The plant will feature an annual production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes. It is to be noted that this project marks the first investment under the Action for Creating Energy Security for Long-term Resilience (ACCEL) initiative launched by the ADB and Japan in May 2026.

Typhoon Champi has swept past the northeastern coast of Taiwan, causing widespread disruption, power outages, and infrastructure damage.

According to the “Henley Passport Index 2026 Global Rankings” released by Henley & Partners, Singapore is ranked first as the world’s most powerful passport with visa-free access to 193 destinations.

Japan, the UAE, and South Korea share second place, while Sweden is ranked third. India is ranked 84th on the index with visa-free access to 55 destinations, sharing its rank with Algeria and Mauritania.

India and Japan have launched the Operational Manual for the India-Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) to promote advanced low-carbon technologies and mobilize climate finance to facilitate technology cooperation and support high-integrity emission reductions and removals in India.

India has reaffirmed its commitment to the conservation of whales and other cetaceans at the 70th Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC-70) held in Hobart, Australia.

The meeting coincided with the 80th anniversary of the signing of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which is the international treaty for whale conservation. It is to be noted that Dr Urbain Brito of Benin was elected as the Chair of the IWC-70, and Anne-Marie Svoboda of Netherlands was appointed as the Vice-Chair.

The IWC-70 adopted the “Hobart Declaration” by consensus and passed resolutions to address fish-maw trade-related cetacean bycatch, vessel strikes, and cetacean strandings. India advocated for the implementation of science-based conservation strategies during the proceedings.

Henri Boris Kagan, a chemist from France, and Kenso Soai, a chemist from Japan, have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The award is given recognising their discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, which advanced the selective production of molecular mirror images (enantiomers). The two laureates will share the prize money of Swedish kronor (SEK) 12 million equally.

India finished fourth in the overall medal standings with 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze) at the 20th Asian Games (XX Asian Games), officially known as Aichi-Nagoya 2026, held in Japan.

China topped the tally with 341 medals (169 gold), followed by Japan. The event concluded at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. Yu Zidi, a 13-year-old swimmer from China, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) - Female for her three gold medals, while Puripol Boonson, a Thai sprinter, was named the MVP - Male.

India won gold medals in team sports including Men’s and Women’s Cricket, Hockey, and Kabaddi. Archery was the most successful individual sport for India with 5 gold medals won in Women’s Individual Recurve), Women’s Recurve Team, and the Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Compound Teams.

In Shooting, gold medals were won in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team (Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh), Women’s Trap (Neeru Dhanda), and Mixed Trap (Kynan Chenai and Neeru Dhanda). Boxing gold medals were claimed by Parveen Hooda (Women’s 65kg), Lovlina Borgohain (Women’s 75kg), and Ankush Panghal (Men’s 80kg).

Other gold medalists include Sujeet Kalkal (Men’s 65kg Freestyle Wrestling), the Indian Wrestling Contingent, the Women’s 4x400m Relay team (Athletics), and Pranavi Urs (Women’s Individual Golf).

India has secured the 10th position at the 48th edition of the WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, China. The Indian team won 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence.

China, the host nation, topped the overall medal table. It is to be noted that the 49th edition of the competition, titled ‘WorldSkills Aichi 2028’, is scheduled to be held in Aichi, Japan.

According to the 10th edition of the “Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI 2026): Insight Report September 2026” released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India is ranked 31st with an overall score of 4.42.

Japan is ranked top with a score of 5.27, followed by the USA, Spain, Australia, and France. Mali is ranked at the bottom of the index with a score of 2.75.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has launched a workshop on the ‘Capacity Enhancement for Effective Forest Management Project’ in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to strengthen the capacity of frontline forest personnel.

The 7-year project will be implemented from FY26 to FY32 across all states in India. The project entails a total financial outlay of ₹537.10 crore, consisting of ₹440.42 crore funded by JICA and ₹96.68 crore contributed by the central government.

India is set to host the 11th edition of the “Asian Senior Wushu Championships” for the first time in 2028. The decision was ratified during the Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA) Congress held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Bhupender Singh Bajwa, representing the Wushu Association of India (WAI), has been nominated as a member of the Executive Committee of the WFA. It is to be noted that Wushu is a traditional Chinese martial art and combat sport.

Typhoon Dujuan has hit the eastern part of Japan, resulting in record-breaking precipitation and violent winds. The weather event has triggered severe flooding and landslides across the affected regions.

The bilateral air exercise “Veer Guardian 2026” between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) has concluded at the Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

The exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations. Su-30 MKI, Rafale, and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas of the IAF and F-2A fighter aircraft of the JASDF participated in the exercise.

The 2nd edition of the bilateral air exercise ‘Veer Guardian-2026’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) is held at the Air Force Station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Yuko Keicho, a Japanese national, has been appointed as the Vice President and Auditor General of the World Bank Group (WBG). She succeeds Amy Doherty.

Tata Capital Ltd (TCL) has signed an MoU with Japan-based Resona Bank, the core banking subsidiary of Resona Holdings, to assist Japanese companies in exploring and accessing financial solutions and business opportunities in India.

The Uttar Pradesh government have signed five MoUs with Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan to enhance bilateral cooperation in skills, energy, tourism, industry, and institutional ties.

The agreements were signed during the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 held in Lucknow.

Shinjiro Koizumi, the Defence Minister of Japan, has conducted his inaugural visit to India to strengthen bilateral defence ties and maritime security cooperation. In New Delhi, he inspected a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Manekshaw Centre in the presence of Union Minister Rajnath Singh.

During the visit to Mumbai, the minister inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command (WNC) and laid a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh at the Naval Dockyard. He also visited the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Chennai, which is an indigenous stealth destroyer.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi held bilateral discussions to strengthen the defence relations between India and Japan. Both nations signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation to enhance strategic engagement in the maritime domain.