Kochi:
A 40-member Japanese business delegation will be on a three-day visit to Kerala from November six to identify areas of cooperation with the state, especially Kochi.
Said to be the biggest ever visit by officials from any country to the state, the event is being organised by Sanin India Association of Japan in association with Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce Kerala (Injack).
Five mayors - Masataka Matsuura, Yasuo Nozaka, Hideto Nagaoka, Hiroki Kondo and Katsugi Nakamura - from the two provinces of Tottri and Shimana are among the delegates.
The areas of interest for the delegation are fisheries and marine products, medical tourism, healthcare and IT, First Secretary in the Japanese Embassy, Tomofumi Fukamiya, told reporters in Kochi today.
Sanin India Association, United Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Japan India Association, Presidents of business house and media representatives from five top Japanese cities are among those visiting the state.
Fukamiya, who visited a water treatment plant at Maradu, Brahmapuram waste treatment plant and Thoppupady harbour today, said IT, Ayurveda, environment and water purification were the areas in which they were keenly interested.
"The delegation consisting of Subject Matter Experts (SME) is coming to get a first hand knowledge about the opportunities in the state. If they find some good projects, studies would be held," he said, adding, in Medical Tourism they were keen to collaborate with Ayurvedic system of Indian medicine.