India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when on his visit to Japan for the Quad Summit, was ‘wowed’ by two Japanese students from the Global Indian International School, Tokyo for speaking to him in fluent Hindi.

PM Modi was communicating to the student community in Japan while on his visit to Japan. Among the crowd waiting to greet him were children and students of different nationalities, flaunting different placards welcoming him to Japan.

Watch the video here.

Mr Modi stopped to speak with two students from GIIS Tokyo, and signed their placards, but the interaction between them was far more interesting because of the exchange in Hindi. Student Ritsuki Kobayashi, Grade 5, from GIIS Tokyo campus stumped the prime minister by speaking to him in chaste Hindi.

Here is the entire conversation between the Prime Minister and the students.

GIIS student: Mera naam Ritsuki hai.  Mein Global Indian International School me paanchvi kaksha mein padhta hoon.  Japan mein aapka bohot swagat hai. 

(My name is Ritsuki. I study at the Global Indian International School in Tokyo in Grade 5. We welcome you to Japan.) 

May I have your signature, please.

To this Mr Modi replied: Ye kaha se seekh liya tumne, Hindi? (Where did you learn Hindi?)

GIIS student: Yes, I learned Hindi.

PM Modi: Bohot accha jaante ho. (You are quite fluent.)

PM Modi: (pointing to the text on the placard) Aur Japani mein kya likha hai? (What does it say in Japanese?)

GIIS student: (pointing to the writings on the placard) Same here, same here.

PM Modi: Teen bhasha leekh diye. (You have learned 3 languages.)

After signing the placard, Mr Modi moved to the next student standing next to Ritsuki. Their interaction went as below:

PM Modi: Kya naam beta? Hindi bol leti ho? (What is your name? Do you speak in Hindi?)

GIIS student: My name is Rimi Kawamoto. I study at GIIS. Global Indian International School, Tokyo.

To which Mr Modi smiles and signs the placard she made welcoming him to Japan.

The interaction in Hindi with Japanese students clearly took Mr Modi by pleasant surprise. Both students study at Global Indian International School in Tokyo, one of the most popular international schools in the country.

Students of GIIS Tokyo learn Hindi in school, while the Indian diaspora studying in Japan learn the Japanese language. The school believes in cultural diversity as well as spreading good education across the world.

It is part of the Global Schools Foundation, an institution which has 35 campuses in 9 different countries. The Foundation runs 7 international schools.