Ahmedabad: Gujarat and Japan are exploring wider cooperation in trade, investment and cultural exchanges ahead of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations in 2027. Mukesh Patel, honorary consul of Japan in Ahmedabad, visited Japan for seven days this month. He held meetings with govt and diplomatic representatives in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Hyogo, Kobe, Osaka and Fukuoka.In Tokyo, Patel met Indian ambassador to Japan Nagma Malik, Japan’s deputy director general of foreign affairs Kyoko Hokugo and former Japanese ambassador to India Hideaki Domichi. Domichi had played a key role in bringing Japan on board as a partner in Gujarat’s development initiatives.At a ‘Make in India’ seminar in Osaka, Patel delivered a keynote address on investment opportunities in Gujarat. He highlighted a decade of business and people-to-people exchanges between Gujarat and Hyogo at the 15th India Mela, recalling goodwill delegations over the years.