Calcutta, May 10: Bengal had better learn the language of doing business in Japan from Gujarat.

A senior diplomat today said Japan has a negative perception of Bengal and the state should go the Gujarat way in trying to woo Japanese investors. According to Motoyoshi Noro, the consul-general of Japan in Calcutta, a visit by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his team should help improve the state’s image.

“There are misconceptions about Bengal in Japan. China, despite having a communist government like Bengal, gets one of the highest Japanese investment as they (the Chinese) have been able to market their country very well,” Noro said at a conference organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce.

There are doubts in Japan about Bengal’s communist government and misgivings about labour problems, he added.

The Gujarat government has printed leaflets and information sheets in Japanese to promote the state in a country known to have fierce pride in its culture and language.

“Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee could act as the biggest influencing factor. He and his team with the commerce and industries minister ought to visit Japan to invite investments and show the true picture of the state,” said Noro.