Modi learns tips for ‘Clean India’

• Citizens and students take part in cleaning of Kyoto
• Posters, billboards discouraged by the city council

Kyoto: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a four-day official tour of Japan, said here on Sunday that not only Kyoto and Varanasi, Kyoto and Indian universities, industries & research institutes can also work together. PM received a presentation from Kyoto Mayor Daisaka Kadokawa on how the ancient tradition of Japan's cultural capital has been preserved while building it into a modern city. Home to about 1.5 million people, Kyoto is a former capital of imperial Japan.

According to its mayor, it is a "model, modern city of citizen autonomy". Kadokawa explained how Kyoto was cleaned up by its citizens. He told Modi that local students actively participated in cleaning up the city and reducing the garbage to 40%. Posters and billboards were discouraged, he said, adding that this exercise has been going on for several years. After meeting Kadokawa, Modi said, “In India we plan to work to develop heritage cities and that's why I wanted to understand some things (in Kyoto).” Later, the PM left for Tokyo for summit-level talks with his counterpart Shinzo Abe.