FACTBOX - Key facts on India, Japan ties

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prays in front of the grave of a Japanese soldier at the Hero Cemetery in Jakarta August 21, 2007.

Reuters - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Here are some key facts on Indo-Japan ties:

BRIEF HISTORY:

- Traceable to the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, cultural ties between India and Japan remained strong. During World War Two, Japan helped Indian independence campaigner Subhas Chandra Bose fight British colonial rulers.

- Japan and India established diplomatic relations in 1952 -- one of the first treaties Japan signed after the war -- and India became the first recipient of Japan's yen loans in 1958.

- Japan has been India's largest aid donor since 1986 and the biggest provider of development loans for the last three years, outranking other recipients Indonesia and China.

- Nuclear tests by India in 1998 strained relations, prompting Japan to impose economic sanctions until 2001, but tensions have since thawed and Japan is now seen keen to court India to counter the rising dominance of China in the region.

RECENT RELATIONS:

2000 - Japan and India agree to establish global partnership in the 21st Century during Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's visit to India.

2001 - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visits Japan and both countries vow to fight terrorism besides enhancing trade and investment cooperation.

2004 - India and Japan join Germany and Brazil to help one another get permanent seats on the UN Security Council with present members France, China, Russia, United States and Britain.

2005 - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits India and agrees to reinforce the strategic focus of the two countries under an "Eight-fold Initiative".

2006 - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Japan and initiates talks on a trade pact.

TRADE & INVESTMENT:

- Japan is India's 10th-biggest trade partner and is the fourth-largest provider of direct investment.

- India mainly exports gems and jewellery, marine products, minerals and textile products to Japan. It imports machinery, transport equipment, electronic goods, chemicals and metal products.

Sources: Reuters; Japan's Embassy in India (www.mofa.go.jp);