CHENNAI: The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) training vessel Itsukushima wrapped up a six-day port call in Chennai on Saturday with a joint sea exercise conducted alongside the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The visit, part of Itsukushima's global ocean voyage, included over 50 Japanese trainee officers who visited ICG facilities in Chennai for operational exposure and cross-training.

The interaction aimed to deepen practical understanding and maritime coordination between the two services.

Vice Admiral Kanosue Hiroaki, Vice Commandant (Operations), led the Japanese delegation and held formal talks with Indian Coast Guard Director General Paramesh Sivamani. Discussions were centred on capacity building and operational cooperation under the India-Japan Maritime Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2006.

The port call concluded with a joint maritime drill named JA-MATA (Japanese for "we will meet again"), held off the Chennai coast. Exercises included firefighting, boarding operations, and station-keeping drills, demonstrating procedural coordination at sea.