PUTRAJAYA, Jan 10 — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's wife, Yoshiko Ishiba, today spent time enjoying a boat ride on Cruise Tasik Putrajaya for a view of the majestic buildings of Putrajaya from a different angle.

She was welcomed on arrival at about 9.35 am by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Yoshiko spent 90 minutes chatting with Dr Wan Azizah while enjoying the scenic views of Putrajaya.

The Japanese prime minister's wife also tried painting Malaysian batik with moon kite and hibiscus motifs for wall decoration.

Earlier, Shigeru and his wife, who arrived in Malaysia yesterday for a two-day official visit, were accorded a formal welcoming ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex here.

This is his inaugural visit since assuming office in October last year.

According to Wisma Putra, Malaysia’s ties with Japan have grown rapidly, with the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2023.

Japan is a key economic partner for Malaysia, with a total of 2,821 manufacturing projects involving Japanese participation implemented in Malaysia as of June 2024.

These projects represent investments worth RM105.2 billion (US$30.4 billion) and have created 344,996 job opportunities.

Japan is the fourth-largest foreign investor in Malaysia's manufacturing sector and Malaysia's fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade valued at RM156.75 billion (US$34.41 billion) in 2023. — Bernama