Ryuko Hira

Ryuko Hira (born 30 May 1948) is an Indian-born businessman and philanthropist based in Japan. He serves as the president of the HMI Hotel Group and the Ora Group of companies.

According to a 2018 report in the Japan Times, he was described as one of the largest individual Indian investor in Japan at that time, with investments estimated at $2.5 billion, and a net worth exceeding $10 billion. In 2022, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, for his work in trade and industry. Indian and Japanese media have reported on his involvement in initiatives focused on economic relations between Japan and India.

Early life Ryuko Hira was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, in the Parijat Bungalow, which today houses Dena Bank. He is the son of Seth Khemchand Kundamal Panjabi. He completed part of his schooling in Mumbai, attending Hill Grange High School and later Sitaram Prakash High School, where he obtained a Secondary School Certificate from the Maharashtra Board of Education. He graduated in gemology from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and attended a 12-week course at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. He later completed a Japanese language course at Sophia University in Tokyo, and then a diploma in character development from the Institute of Sathya Sai Education, Japan.

Family Background His family history can be traced back to the eighteenth century, with the birth of his great-grandfather Seth Jagatrai in Hyderabad, Sindh Province (in what is now West Pakistan). The family was also known as the Jagtianis due to having the same filial name. The family had a legacy of procuring jewels and ornaments from Muslim royalty like (Mugals), or Mirs.

Hira, through his hospitality business, hosted His Highness Crown Prince Naruhito (1998), Their Majesties, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko (June 2008), and several other state guests. During the 2000 G8 Summit, many of the meetings were hosted at the Rizzan Sea-Park Hotel in Okinawa. French President Jacques Chirac, the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and other leaders of the 2000 G8 Summit stayed at the hotel.

Social contributions

Hira has supported cultural and philanthropic projects in Japan associated with Indian traditions and firms. He sponsored five Hindu prayer halls across Japan, which provide community service by cooking food for the homeless. Hira's association with Sathya Sai Publications Japan, inspired by Sri Sathya Sai Baba and his teachings. During H.H. Dalai Lama's visit to Japan in November 2009, Hira hosted his holiness at the Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial Park. He also led an economic delegation to India in November 2015, which was notably participated in by Mr. Osamu Suzuki, Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, who also attended the 34th Convocation of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. In Prashanti Nilayam, the delegation was also guided by Hira to the largest statue in the world of Lord Hanuman, the Hindu deity, who is also known as "Maruti" - India's largest brand of Maruti Suzuki Cars. In 1990, Hira patronized the construction of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, P.V. Narasimha Rao, in 1991, and in 2000, the construction of the Chaitanya Jyoti Museum in Prashanti Nilayam.

In October 2017, the 72nd Arts Festival by the Agency of Cultural Affairs in Japan, and the '2017 - The Year of Japan-India Friendly Exchanges' which was adopted by the governments of Japan and India, were conducted. During this, the great Indian epic 'Mahabharata' was produced by the National Kabuki Theatre in Japan under the title 'The War Chronicles of Mahabharata'. The production was delivered in a traditional Kabuki-style art form. Renowned Kabuki actors such as Onoe Kikunosuke, Bando Tamasaburo, and Onoe Kikugoro VII were part of its cast. As a commemoration of the 70th year of Indo-Japan relations, and the centenary anniversary of the Indian Commerce and Industry Association Japan (ICIJ), Hira and the Okinawa-India Friendship Association hosted a special screening of 'The War Chronicles of Mahabharata'.

In October 2019, Hira hosted the foundation stone ceremony for the Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti - Spiritual Centre, as a project to promote further cultural exchanges between India and Japan, at Tsumagoi Resort - Sai No Sato. The project was hosted in collaboration with the Sri Sathya Sai Organization in Japan. The ceremony was attended by the chief guest, President of India, Ramnath Kovind, First Lady of India Madam Savita Kovind, Ambassador of India to Japan Sanjay Kumar Verma, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Kazuyoshi Akaba, and Suzuki Motor Company Chairman Osamu Suzuki, amongst others. In July 2023, the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, in the presence of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh Abdul Nazeer, at Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. During the inauguration, the Prime Minister spoke on the potential and significance of the convention centre, his connection to Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and specifically mentioned his close relationship with Ryuko Hira during his address. Hira was honored during the ceremony by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust for his contributions to the Sathya Sai Community. In 2023, the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre was inaugurated at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, India, following a donation from Hira.

Involvement in Indo-Japan relations Over the decades, Hira has played a vital role in coordinating agreements, memorandums, and the like amongst various tier governments of India and Japan. Some prominent examples of Hira's contribution as a coordinator can be noted in the following memorandums:

In January 2014, Hira played a role in the establishment of a memorandum between the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of India and the Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. In cooperation with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Hira's contributed to major relaxations of short-term visas for Indian citizens visiting Japan. In January 2016, Hira was invited by the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, for an expert meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence, wherein he proposed policy measures to liberalize tourism from India to Japan over the next 5 years.

In April 2016, he delivered a lecture at the Ceremonial Occasion Research Institute Co., Ltd, about the culture of ceremonial occasions in India. Hira was also involved in the tourism and transport sectors during Prime Minister Modi's official visit to Japan in November 2016 and October 2018, as well as Prime Minister Abe's official visit to India in September 2017. Hira has participated in the G20 Tourism Ministers' Meeting held in Niseko, Hokkaido, wherein he also attended the Indo-Japan bilateral tourism conference. In October 2019, Hira was instrumental in the launch of the new ANA flight route from Narita to Chennai and attended its inauguration ceremony.

Honors and awards In April 2024, Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Tetsuo Saito) presented Hira with the National Award of Honor for Tourism in recognition of his 40 years of work in Japan's hotel industry. In 2023, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Abdul Nazeer, recognized Hira for his contributions to the establishment of the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre. In 2022, the president of India conferred on Hira the Padma Shri award for his contribution to the field of trade and industry, recognizing his role as a senior business leader in Japan, instrumental in promoting India-Japan relations. In 2010, the president of India conferred on Hira the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for his entrepreneurship and his contribution to the Indian community in Japan in the cultural, economic, and social fields. In 1998, Hira was honoured at the Great Hall of the People during Madame Chiang Kai-shek`s 100th birth anniversary for hosting the first All-China Provinces' Human Values Essay Contest. In 1992, Hira was honoured for his contribution to and lectures on Buddhism at the 'First Conference in Korea for Teachers to Introduce Human Values (EHV)' by the Sathya Sai Organization of Korea at Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea. In similar service activities, during the Great Hanshin Earthquake that occurred on 17 January 1995 in Hyogo Prefecture, Sathya Sai Organization Japan responded to the disaster immediately. Sairam News reported that water, emergency food items, blankets, and other relief items were delivered to the victims. There were members themselves who were victims but still volunteered in the spirit of Sai Service.

Name and citizenship The Hira Mountains in Shiga Prefecture where Ryuko Hira received his prophesized name.

Hira writes about the socialist reforms that happened at that time, which led to his family to make long-term commitments to Japan. His first Indian name, 'Kamlesh', meant the lord of lotus flowers, and his last name, 'Panjabi', meant 5 rivers. He states that the direct translation of his name would be queer in Japanese characters, and since most local government officers did not read or write English at the time, his name being written in Kanji was a legal requirement.

Hira's friend, Mr. Mihara from Kyoto, introduced him to a Japanese priest of the Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu (Bishamon-ten) located on top of Mount Hira in Shiga Prefecture. This priest specialized in the art of Japanese calligraphy and 'Jikaku' - the number of strokes in a Kanji character that decides the destiny of a name. After 21 days of meeting with the priest, he received the name Hira Ryuko (比良 竜虎). Hira represents Mount Hira, '竜/Ryu' and '虎/Ko', the two kanji represent dragon (Japan) and tiger (India) respectively, symbolizing prosperity and strength. According to later interviews, Hira said that a priest suggested the name ‘Ryuko’ to symbolize cultural links between Japan and India.