Violence at Maruti Suzuki's plant in Manesar, which is run by the Japanese automaker, has cast a shadow over Suzuki's Indian operations in recent days. But as Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo highlights, the relationship between India and Japan continues to gain traction.

On the face of it, India and Japan make for strange bedfellows. One is neat, efficient and organized; the other is not. One values precision and orderliness; the other considers jugaad - the overcoming of scarcity through improvisation - to be a point of pride.

In almost every way, Japanese and Indian mores clash. But the clash is what makes the relationship work, some say. In fact, to use a classic Asian aphorism, Japan could well be considered the yin to India's yang.

There have been a number of high-echelon visits from one to the other in the past 12 months, and economic ties are on the rise. The increasing presence of Japanese expats in New Delhi and Gurgaon is underscored by the rise in resources tailored exclusively for them: for example, Gurgaon's Best Western Skycity Hotel, which has a number of Japanese speakers on staff, last year opened a karaoke lounge and restaurant, plainly targeting the area's Japanese residents.