The 39th annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group convened in London and Norwich on January 12–15, the first in-person program since 2019. The delegation began their stay in London, where they joined in a lunch meeting hosted by the Japan Society of the UK and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK as well as a dinner hosted by Mr Hiroshi Matsuura, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan. They also paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Close to 40 members from the United Kingdom and Japan participated in the dialogue. Over the course of seven sessions, politicians, journalists, businesspeople, and scholars discussed key topics including defense and security, integration of the Global South in worldwide collaboration, domestic and international economic security, and global health in the post-pandemic era.
A summary of discussions and recommendations is being prepared by the co-chairs to be presented to their respective governments and will be shared when available.
January 12
LONDON PROGRAMME
Reception and Luncheon meeting hosted by Japan Society and Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK (JCCI)
Call on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by Japanese Delegation
Reception at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
January 13
NORWICH PROGRAMME
Opening Remarks by Keizo Takemi, Japanese Co-Chairman, and Lord Lansley, UK Co-Chairman
Session 1: Latest Developments in UK and Japan—Politics and the Economy
UK SPEAKER: Phillip Collins, Founder and Writer, The Draft
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Hiroyuki Akia, Commentator, Nikkei
Session 2: Global Health-Lessons Learned from the Pandemic
UK SPEAKER: Dame Sally Davies, Master of Trinity College Cambridge
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Yasuhisa Shiozaki, former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
January 14
Session 3: Security Challenges for the UK and Japan
UK SPEAKER: Lord McConnell, Member of the House of Lords JAPANESE SPEAKER: Koji Tsuruoka, Former Japanese Ambassador to the UK
Session 4: Economic Security and Supply Chains
UK SPEAKER: Creon Butler, Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Tetsuya Watanabe, Special Advisor, Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
Session 5: Prospects for International Development Collaboration—Integration of the Global South
UK SPEAKER: Hannah Ryder, CEO, Development Reimagined
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Toshiko Abe, Member of the House of Representatives
January 15
Session 6: Chairmen’s Summary Dialogue
Session 7: Conclusions and Recommendations
JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS | |
Mr Keizo Takemi | Japanese Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group; Member of the House of Councillors (LDP) |
Ms Toshiko Abe | Member of the House of Representatives |
Mr Hiroyuki Akita | Commentator, Nikkei Shimbun |
Mr Ian Funnell | Advisor to the Chairman, Hitachi Europe Ltd. |
Mr Chris Jackson | President & CEO, NEC Europe Ltd. |
Mr Isao Kano | Senior Advisor, Internal Audi Dept., Corporate Staff Section, Mitsubishi Corporation |
Ms Megan McDonald | CEO, Daiwa Capital Markets Europe |
Mr Hiroshi Matsuura | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan in the UK |
Ms Keiichiro Nakamura | Chief Executive Officer, SMBC Bank International plc; Managing Executive Officer and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa Division, SMFG/SMBC |
Mr Akio Okawara | President, Japan Center for International Exchange; Japanese Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
Mr Koya Ozeki | European Bureau Chief, The Yomiuri Shimbun |
Mr Yasuhisa Shiozaki | Former member of the House of Representatives (LDP); former Japanese Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
| Mr Hidenobu Shirota | Executive Managing Director, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. |
| Mr Kaname Tajima | Member of the House of Representatives (CDP) |
Mr Koji Tsuruoka | President, The International Affairs Research Institute; former Japanese Ambassador to the UK |
Mr Tetsuya Watanabe | Special Advisor, ERIA (Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia) |
UK PARTICIPANTS | |
Lord (Andrew) Lansley | UK Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group; House of Lords (Conservative Party) |
Baroness (Elizabeth) Barker | House of Lords (Liberal Democratic Party) |
| Mr Creon Butler | Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House |
| Dr Lisa Cameron MP | Member of Parliament (Scottish National Party) |
| Mr Philip Collins | Founder and Writer-in-Chief, The Draft |
| Dame Sally Davies | UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Mr Fergus Drake | Chief Executive Officer, Crown Agents |
| Mr David Fitton | UK Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
| Ms Louise Haigh MP | Member of Parliament (Labour Party) |
| Prof Simon Kaner | Director, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia |
| H. E. Julia Longbottom | British Ambassador to Japan |
| Lord (Jack) McConnell | House of Lords (Labour Party) |
| Mr Paul Madden | Business Adviser, Professor and former Ambassador |
| Dr John Nilsson-Wright | Senior Lecturer in Modern Japanese Politics and International Relations, Cambridge University; Head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House |
| Ms Stephanie Peacock MP | Member of Parliament (Labour Party) |
| Mr Rob Peer | Head of Strategy Japan, BAE Systems PLC |
| Mr David Richardson | Non-Executive Director, Crown Agents |
| Ms Hannah Ryder | CEO and Founder, Development Reimagined |
| Ms Jade Scarfe | Development Finance Programme Manager, Development Reimagined |
| Mr Nigel Talboys | Global Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Terumo BCT Europe |
| Sir David Warren | Chair, Nursing and Midwifery Council |
OBSERVERS | |
| Mr Ryo Kusui | First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in the UK |
| Ms Emily Metens | Japan Desk Officer, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office |
| Mr Ryuji Miyamoto | Intern, Office of Ms Toshiko Abe |
SECRETARIAT | |
| Ms Heidi Potter | Chief Executive, The Japan Society |
| Ms Hifumi Tajima | Chief Program Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange |
