Japan-United Kingdom Relations

1. The Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Kentaro Sonoura, visited the United Kingdom from 6 to 7 September and attended the first session of the Japan House(Note) Steering Committee, which was held in London on 7 September.
2. Mr Sonoura presented a Letter of Appointment from Foreign Minister Kishida to each member of the Steering Committee, which is composed of nine influential people from both Japan and the United Kingdom, and opened the first session with a speech (PDF). In his speech, Mr Sonoura stressed the importance of the Steering Committee in promoting Japan House.
3. In this first session, an outline was given on the objectives and significance of Japan House(Note), and the Steering Committee members discussed the activities which will make Japan House(Note) as an appealing and effective hub of information and the direction in which it should proceed.

Members of the Japan House(Note) Steering Committee (Alphabetical Order)

1. Sir Roger Gifford (UK Country Head of SEB; former Lord Mayor of London)
2. Mr Haruki Hayashi (President of Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the United Kingdom; Managing Director of Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) Plc)
3. Mr Hironobu Ishikawa (Chairman of Nippon Club; Managing Director of Mitsui & Co. Europe Plc)
4. Professor Chizu Nakajima (Professor of Law, London Metropolitan University; Co-Chair of the British Japanese Law Association)
5. Ms Keshini Navaratnam (international broadcaster and long-time BBC World TV news anchor; Managing Director of Alexandrite global communications, international media, leadership profile; Director of Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering)
6. The Rt Hon. the Lord Patten of Barnes, CH (Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Member of House of Lords)
7. Mrs Phillida Purvis, MBE (Director of Links Japan; former Executive Director at UK-Japan 21st Century Group; Trustee of Japan Arena; Deputy Director of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation)
8. Sir David Warren, KCMG (Chairman of Japan Society; former HM Ambassador to Japan)
9. Mr Keiichi Hayashi (Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom) (Chair)

(Note) provisional name