Japan-U.K. Relations 
December 2011
Basic Data
- Diplomatic Relations:
- Established in October 1854 with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Trade.
- Japanese Nationals:
- Number of Japanese nationals residing in UK: 63,017 (Oct. 2008)
- Number of British nationals residing in Japan: 17,011 (Dec. 2008)
- Trade with Japan (2009):
- Exports to the UK: 1.1 trillion yen (cars, car parts, gold)
- Imports from the UK: 0.53 trillion yen (medi. and pharm. products, cars, platinum)
- Direct Investment from Japan:
- 2.04 trillion yen (2009).
VIP Visits
- From Japan to UK
-
Year Name 2007 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Their Majesty The Emperor and Empress2008 Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda 2009 Prime Minister Taro Aso - From UK to Japan
-
Year Name 2005 Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
Duke of York2006 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott 2007 Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett
Duke of York2008 Prime Minister Gordon Brown (g8), FS David Miliband (g8)
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall2011 Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Browne
Recent Trend
150th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-UK relations
Year 2008 marked the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-UK relations, and many cultural events took place in both countries as a large-scale public diplomacy campaign. JAPAN-UK 150 promoted Japan-related events in the UK from 2008 to 2009, while UK-JAPAN 2008 promoted UK-related ones in Japan in 2008. JAPAN-UK 150 featured 452 events overall, targeting mainly on arts and science. For UK-JAPAN 2008, 330 events took place focusing on arts, creative industries and science and innovation. As a result, these featured events contributed to enhancing interaction and mutual understanding between the two countries.
JAPAN UK JOINT STATEMENT: A Framework for the Future
HE Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan and the Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland held their first summit meeting in London on 9th January, 2007, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's first official visit to the UK.
The two Prime Ministers reviewed the state of the bilateral relationship between Japan and the UK, exchanged views on key issues of international concern and decided to establish a framework for enhanced co-operation between the two countries. At the conclusion of the visit, the two Prime Ministers released the following joint statement.
We, the two Prime Ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom, confirm that the relationship between Japan and the UK is the best it has ever been. It is a wide-ranging relationship spanning diverse areas of activity. It derives its strength above all from our shared values and international interests. Our two countries are natural strategic partners, sharing a common global vision of peace, security and international prosperity based on sustainable development and respect for human rights and the rule of law. We have shared interests in combating key global challenges, including in the areas of international security, counter-proliferation, climate change and poverty reduction. We have a shared desire to harness the power of innovation to promote prosperous and stable global conditions.
The next two years offer a particular opportunity to develop further our bilateral relations, as we look ahead to Japan's Presidency of the G8 in 2008. Japan and the UK are determined to continue working together over this period and beyond towards achieving a peaceful and prosperous world.
Accordingly, we have decided to work towards achieving a set of objectives in the areas of international security, climate change, international development and science, technology and innovation. We commit ourselves to meet annually to review progress against these objectives and in the wider relationship. We will encourage our principal ministers and officials to establish frameworks for regular exchanges to support this process and to deepen relationships in other areas of the bilateral relationship. We further recognise that intellectual, cultural and people-to-people exchanges including tourism are important in promoting mutual understanding and as the basis for this joint cooperation. In this regard, we continue to support "the Japan-UK 21st Century Group", a useful annual forum consisting of eminent persons in diverse fields. We express our support for the further development of such activity and welcome plans for a UK year of science, art and design in Japan in 2008.
JET Programme
The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme seeks to help enhance internationalization in Japan, by promoting mutual understanding between Japan and other nations. This programme has so far given about 9,505 young people in the UK the opportunity to learn more about Japan, through their experience as Assitant Language Teacher, Cordinator for International Relations, or Sports Exchange Advisor. JET participants play important roles for a better mutual understanding between people the two countries.
UK-Japan 21st Century Group
The UK-Japan 21st Century Group is a wise-men's group established in 1985 as UK-Japan 2000 Group to study the modality of Japan-UK cooperation, based on the agreement between then Prime Minister Nakasone and the Prime Minister Thatcher. It is a custom that recommendations adopted through discussions at the meeting are submitted to the Prime Ministers of the two countries.
- The 28th Annual Meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group (May 20-22, 2011)
- The 27th Annual Meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group (October 21-24, 2010)
- The 26th Annual Conference of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group (March 2010)
- Signing of the Tax Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Guernsey (December 7, 2011)
- Signing of the Tax Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Jersey (December 5, 2011)
- Japan-UK Foreign Ministers' Telephone Talk (November 28, 2011)
- Japan-UK Summit Meeting (Overview) (November 3, 2011)
- Japan-UK Summit Telephone Talks (October 24, 2011)
- Japan-UK Foreign Ministers' Telephone Talks (September 8, 2011)
- Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport of the U.K. visited Japan (September 6, 2011)
- Visit to Japan by Mr. Jeremy Browne, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the U.K. (July 2011)
- Signing of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Isle of Man (June 22, 2010)
- Japan-UK Foreign Ministers' Talks and Foreign Minister Matsumoto's Discussion with Prime Minister Cameron (May 3, 2010)
- Telephone Talks between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (March 2011)
- Foreign Minister Matsumoto had a telephone talks with Foreign Secretary Hague of the United Kingdom (March 2011)
- Signing of the Tax Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Cayman Islands (February 2011)
- Agreement in Principle on the Tax Agreement centered on the Exchange of Information between the Government of Japan and the Government of Guernsey (January 2011)
- Visit to Japan by Mr. Jeremy Browne, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the U.K. (September 2010)
- Visit to Japan by Rt. Hon. Mr. William Hague, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the U.K. (July 2010)
- Telephone Conversation Between Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Rt. Hon. William Hague, First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom (May 2010)
- Signing of the Tax Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Bermuda (February 2010)
- Japan-UK Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Summary) (June 2009)
- Telephone Conversation between Prime Minister Taro Aso and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (May 2009)
- Talks between Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and UK Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Bill Rammell (May 2009)
- Telephone Conversation between Foreign Ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom regarding the situation in Sri Lanka (April 2009)
- Telephone Conversation between Foreign Ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom regarding the Launch of a Flying Object by North Korea (April 2009)
- Japan-UK Summit Talks (April 2009)
- A Meeting of World Leaders on "The Prince's Rainforests Project" (April 2009)
- Telephone Talks between Prime Minister Taro Aso and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (March 2009)
- Telephone Talks between the Foreign Ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom (March 2009)
- Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Taro Aso by British Members of the UK-Japan 21st-Century Group (February 2009)
- The 25th Annual Conference of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group (February 2009)
- The Seventh Meeting of the Japan/UK Joint Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology (February 2009)
- Talks between Prime Minister Taro Aso and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (January 2009)
- Telephone Talks between the Foreign Ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom (January 2009)
- Visit to Japan of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (October 2008)
- Visit to the United Kingdom by Mr. Shintaro Ito, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (September 2008)
- Japan-UK summit talks (June 2008)
- Visit to Japan by the Rt Hon Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (March 2008)
- Visit to Japan by the Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (January 2008)
- Teleconference between Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the U.K. (July 2007)
- Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan's Visit to Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and United Kingdom (May 2007)
- Visit to Japan by Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) (May 2007)
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Visit to European Countries (January 2007)
- JAPAN-UK JOINT STATEMENT: A Framework for the Future (January 2007)
- Statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Their Majesties' Visit to European Countries (December 2006)
- Mr. Keitaro Sato, Ambassador in charge of Peace Building in Africa, to Visit the Sudan, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom (October 2006)
- Entry into Force of the Convention between Japan and the U.K. for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains (September 2006)
- Keynote Address by Professor Akiko Yamanaka, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, at the Japan-UK Security Co-operation Conference 2006 at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) (July 2006)
- Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, to visit Switzerland and the United Kingdom (March 2006)
- Convention between Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains (February 2006) [English (PDF)
] [Japanese (PDF)]
- Exchange of Note [English (PDF)] [Japanese (PDF)]
- Exchange of Note [English (PDF)
- Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Katsutoshi Kaneda to Attend the London Conference on Afghanistan (January 2006)
- Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit Europe (December 2005)
- Statement by the Press Secretary on the Arms Decommissioning of the Irish Republican Army (September 2005)
- Mr. Machimura Nobutaka, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit the U.K. (July 2005)
- Visit by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hosoda to the British Embassy in Tokyo to Express the Sympathy of the Government of Japan for Those Sacrificed in a Series of Explosions in London (July 2005)
- Statement by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan on the bombing attacks in London (July 2005)
- Statement by G8, the Leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa and the Heads of the International Organisations on the bombing attacks in London (July 2005) [PDF] [Text Version]
- Meeting between Foreign Minister Machimura of Japan and Foreign Secretary Straw of the United Kingdom (Summary) (June 2005)
- Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.), Belgium and the United Kingdom (U.K.) (June 2005)
- Message from Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nobutaka Machimura to the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw concerning the deaths of British soldiers in Iraq (February 2005)
(Open a New Window)Press Secretary's Press Conference on U.K.
| Year | Month | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | May | 13 | 2008 | July | 7 |
| 2007 | July | 17 |
| May | 18 | |
| 2006 | July | 18, 24 |
| January | 13, 31 | |
| 2005 | September | 13 |
| July | 8 | |
| June | 28 | |
| 2004 | February | 20 |
| 2003 | July | 15, 18 |
| 2002 | July | 16 |
| February | 12 | |
| 2001 | January | 19 |
| 2000 | February | 29 |
150th Anniversary of Japan-UK Relations (2008) 
- Embassy of Japan in U.K. Web Site
- Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh Web Site
- Embassy of U.K. in Japan Web Site
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