Japanese-U.K. ties have flourished along a broad avenue of cultural exchange, which His Excellency Hajime Hayashi, Japanese Ambassador to the U.K., calls “a cornerstone” of the strong relationship between the nations.
Hayashi further noted that “the level of interest in Japanese culture among the British people is exceptional,” pointing to various aspects of shared cultural interests, including the Japanese people’s affinity with the British crown.
This rapport was especially evident when HM Emperor Naruhito and HM Empress Masako flew to the U.K. to pay their respects when HM Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest in September 2022. “Their Majesties’ presence at the funeral symbolized the deep-rooted bonds between the imperial family of Japan and the Royal Family of the U.K., as well as the ties between our two peoples,” Hayashi said.
To date, relations between Japan and the U.K. continue to thrive — of great importance, given the current international climate. “This January, following his previous trip last May, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the U.K. and had a bilateral summit meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; our two prime ministers signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement,” he said.
Among other pressing matters, Hayashi shared that the two heads of state discussed the U.K.’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which came to a substantial conclusion in March 2023; the situations in Ukraine and in East Asia; and the upcoming G7 Hiroshima Summit.
Aside from those major milestones, Hayashi also stressed the significance of the joint development of the next-generation fighter aircraft by Japan, the U.K., and Italy; and the Japan-U.K. Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2020, the very first new EPA that the U.K. ratified after Brexit (the U.K. exit from the European Union).
Hayashi underscored that: “Japan and the U.K. have become global strategic partners that share fundamental values.
We, therefore, share the capacity and responsibility to work together to tackle global challenges. The Hiroshima G7 Summit will be the prime opportunity for Japan and the U.K. to demonstrate our determination.”
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