Tokyo, July 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. M Krishna on Sunday concluded his four-day visit to Japan.

During his visit, Krishna interacted with people of Indian origin living here.

Paying rich tributes to the Indian diaspora, Krishna on Saturday said that Indians in Japan played a key role in building “new bridges” between the two countries.

“Your (Indian community living in Japan) contribution to sharing dynamism of the new India which is emerging today is equally noteworthy. As you help to build new bridges between India and Japan. I’m confident that you will do so with diligence, creativity, enterprise that has become the hallmark of the Indian diaspora all over the world,” said Krishna.

Indians first came to Japan about 140 years ago and currently there are some 21,000 people of Indian origin in Japan, a quarter of them reaching there in the past three years.

Earlier, Krishna inaugurated a new chancery building of the Indian Embassy.The building and its cultural centre will serve as a base for Indians and Japanese for further strengthening the ties.

Plants Associates Inc. has built the chancery with the help of the Shimizu Corporation, a Japanese construction firm.

Later, he also visited the Asakusa Shrine in the city.

The shrine, which is also known as Sanja-sama (”Shrine of the Three Gods”), is one of the most famous Shinto shrines of Tokyo. It is located in Asakusa and honors the three men who founded the Senso-ji.

Krishna had earlier participated in the third annual bilateral strategic dialogue between India and Japan.

Krishna held discussions on a wide array of bilateral and global issues including disarmament and climate change, during his participation in the strategic dialogue with Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone. (ANI)