UK-Japan 21st Century Group | 23rd Conference

February 8–10, 2007
Tokyo
The 23rd annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group was held in Tokyo on February 8–10, 2007, under the joint chairmanship of Yasuhisa Shiozaki (member, House of Representatives and Chief Cabinet Secretary), and Jack Cunningham (member, House of Commons). Thirty-six leaders from the two countries discussed a number of domestic and global issues where closer bilateral cooperation could be especially effective, ranging from global security challenges to climate change. The UK group members met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who stressed the importance of further deepening of UK-Japan cooperation.
February 8

Session I: Domestic and Foreign Policy Priorities of Japan

YUKIO SATOH, President, Japan Institute International Affairs
FUMIHIKO YOSHIDA, Editorial Writer, Asahi Shimbun
YASUHISA SHIOZAKI, Chief Cabinet Secretary
LORD CUNNINGHAM, House of Lords

 

February 9

Session II: Domestic and Foreign Policy Priorities of the UK

JENNIFER BORDEN (International Development), former International Director, Christian Aid
MIKE GAPES, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, House of Commons

 

Session III: Global Security: The Challenges facing the UK and Japan

Japan: MASASHI NISHIHARA, President, Research Institute for Peace and Security 
UK: MICHAEL CLARKE, Director, International Policy Institute, Kings College, London

 

Meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Reception hosted by Takeshi Iwaya, Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs

 

February 10

Session IV: Emerging East Asia and Corporate Responses of UK and Japan—Cooperation or Competition?

Japan: YUKARI TAKAMURA, Professor, Ryukoku University
UK: LORD WOOLMER, House of Lords

 

Dinner hosted by British Ambassador Sir Graham Fry

JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS

CO-CHAIR

YASUHISA SHIOZAKI

Chief Cabinet Secretary; Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

PARTICIPANTS

SHINJI FUKUKAWA

Chairman, TEPIA (The Machine Industry Memorial Foundation)

TAKAKO HIKOTANI

Associate Professor, National Defense Academy

HIROBUMI KAWANO

Senior Vice President, JFE Steel Corporation

SEIJI MAEHARA

Member, House of Representatives (DPJ); former President of the Democratic Party of Japan

MASASHI NISHIHARA

President, Research Institute for Peace and Security

YOSHIJI NOGAMI

Japanese Ambassador to UK

YUKIO SATOH

President, Japan Institute of International Affairs; Former Ambassador to UN

SACHIO SEMMOTO

Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, eAccess, Ltd.

YOSHIHIDE SOEYA

Professor, Keio University

SHIGEMITSU SUGISAKI

Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd.

YUKARI TAKAMURA

Professor, Ryukoku University

HATSUHISA TAKASHIMA

Visiting Professor, Gakushuin University; former Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

KEIZO TAKEMI

Member, House of Councillors (LDP)

MINORU TERADA

Member, House of Councillors (LDP)

ISAMU UEDA

Member, House of Representatives (Komeito)

KOJI WATANABE

Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange; former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

TADASHI YAMAMOTO

President, Japan Center for International Exchange

FUMIHIKO YOSHIDA

Editorial Writer, Asahi Shimbun

UK PARTICIPANTS

CO-CHAIR

RT. HON LORD CUNNINGHAM OF FELLING

House of Lords

PARTICIPANTS

JENNIFER BORDEN

Consultant on International Development; Former International Director, Christian Aid

SIR JOHN BOYD KCMG

Chairman, Board of Governors, British Museum

MICHAEL CLARKE

Director, International Policy Institute Kings College, London

LORD DONOUGHUE

House of Lords

BILL EMMOTT

Editor, The Economist

SIR GRAHAM FRY KCMG

HM Ambassador, Tokyo

MELVILLE GUEST

Senior Advisor, Imperial College London; UK Executive Director, 21st Century Group

MIKE GAPES

Chairman, House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs

LORD HOWELL OF GUILDFORD

Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesman, House of Lords

JEREMY HUNT MP

House of Commons

RT HON SIR RICHARD NEEDHAM

Former Minister of State for Trade

ANDY LATHAM

Vice President, Typhoon, BAE Systems plc

MICHAEL SHEARS

Chairman, Arup Trustees

STEVE TAYLOR

Executive Director, Crown Agents

BRIAN WILSON

Former UK Energy Minister;

DIRECTOR, AMEC NUCLEAR

 

LORD WOOLMER OF LEEDS

House of Lords

SIR DAVID WRIGHT, GCMG, LVO

Vice Chairman, Barclays Capital

OBSERVERS

 

ETSURO HONDA

Deputy Director-General, European Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

KAZUYUKI KINBARA

Director, International Economic Affairs Bureau 1, Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation)

WATARU NISHIGAHIRO

Minister, Embassy of Japan, London

SHINICHI YAMANAKA

Deputy Director, Western Europe Division, European Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs