LONDON — Japanese diplomats say they are working hard to stop the decline in the number of British participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

They recognize the concerns of the U.K.-Japan 21st Century Group, which recently highlighted the drop in the number of British JET participants since 2001, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the overall total.

The body, which represents leading academics, politicians and businesspeople from both countries and meets annually, is calling on Japan to reverse the trend, arguing it could damage bilateral relations in the long term.