Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

Referring to the growing enthusiasm in Japan to learn Hindi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revealed that a 95-year-old Japanese man had sent him a "beautiful" letter written in Hindi, requesting the Indian leader to speak only in Hindi at the events organized in his honour during his visit.

Poignant Moment. @PMOIndia reaches out to Netaji's oldest living associate in Japan the 99 year old Saichiro Misumi pic.twitter.com/od8HJrHj5S Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) September 2, 2014

In his address at a function organized by the Japan-India Association on Tuesday, Modi said that the elderly man is a great admirer of India's freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Modi said that he has asked the Indian ambassador to Japan to make a video of the man showing his life and love for Bose -- a testimony of the close bond the people of the two countries share.

Taking note of the growing interests of the people of Japan to know about the Indian culture, the Indian prime minister said that the bond between the two countries have strengthened from a mere strategic partnership to a special strategic partnership.

"Nothing should hurt this special bond between the two countries. We have launched the Japan-Bharat spiritual partnership to expand our cultural ties," the Indian prime minister said at the function in Tokyo. The Japan-India Association is 110 years old.

Modi expressed hope that the friendship between the two countries will grow stronger in the time to come. "India will replicate Japan's work ethics. We have already eased many cumbersome regulations to expedite development and attract foreign investors and businesses to the country," he said.

To further strengthen this friendship, the Indian prime minister has urged the parliamentarians from both sides, particularly the young leaders and the women, to have regular exchange.

"They should have more exchanges and their visits should not be confined to the national capitals only, but also to other parts of the two countries.

India's GDP has increased to 5.7 in the last 100 days of Modi government as a result of the proactive steps initiated by his government to boost growth and investment in the country.

