The 40th annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group convened in Tokyo and Odawara, Kanagawa on February 2–4, the second in-person program since 2019. The delegation began their stay in Tokyo, where the UK delegation paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Kishida and attended a reception hosted by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.
More than 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 the latest domestic developments in each country, global conflicts including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US response to the current international turmoil, climate change and energy, ways to encourage cooperation on global health innovation, and the impact of AI.
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.
February 1
TOKYO PROGRAMME
Reception hosted by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa
Speech by Minister Kamikawa and other delegates
February 2
ODAWARA PROGRAMME
Opening remarks by Co-Chairmen
Seiji Kihara, Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group
Lord Lansley, Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group
Session 1: Latest Developments in Japanese and UK Politics and the Economy
UK SPEAKERS: Mark Logan, Member of Parliament (Conservative) and Catherine West, Member of Parliament (Labour)
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Hiroyuki Akita, Commentator, Nikkei
Session 2: Global Security including Ukraine and Russia
UK SPEAKER: Paul Madden, Former British Ambassador to Japan
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Koji Tsuruoka, Former Japanese Ambassador to UK
February 3
Session 3: Global Security U.S. Response to International Security
UK SPEAKER: Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor, The Times
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Fumiaki Kubo, President, National Defense of Academy
Session 4: Climate Change and Energy
CLIMATE CHANGE
UK SPEAKER: Lord (Jack) McConnell, Member of the House of Lords
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Yukari Takamura, Professor, University of Tokyo
FINANCIAL ISSUE on GREEN ENERGY
UK SPEAKER: Lord (Jack) McConnell
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Yasunori Takeuchi, CEO, Corporate Action Japan
Session 5: Global Health: Enhancing Innovation through Collaborations
UK SPEAKER: Philippe Fauchet, Founder, Mirasense
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Osamu Kunii, CEO, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT)
SPECIAL SPEAKER: Keizo Takemi, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; Member of the House of Councillors
Session 6: AI
UK SPEAKER: Lord (Andrew) Lansley, Member of the House of Lords
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Yutaka Matsuo, Professor, Research into Artifacts, Center of Engineering, University of Tokyo
February 4
Session 7: Chairmen’s Summary Dialogue
UK CHAIRMAN: Lord Lansley
JAPANESE CHAIRMAN: Seiji Kihara
Conclusions and Recommendations
UK CHAIRMAN: Lord Lansley
JAPANESE CHAIRMAN: Seiji Kihara
JAPANESE PARTICIPANTS | |
Mr Seiji Kihara | Japanese Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group; Member of the House of Representatives (LDP) |
Mr Hiroyuki Akita | Commentator, Nikkei Shimbun |
Mr Hirohide Hirai | Advisor to CEO, Hitachi, Ltd. |
Prof Yoko Iwama | Professor, International Relations, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies |
Mr Isao Kano | President, Japan Center for International Exchange; Japanese Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
Dr Sadaharu Kotani | Executive Director, Government Relations Strategy Department, Eisai Co., Ltd. |
Prof Fumiaki Kubo | President, National Defense Academy of Japan |
Dr Osamu Kunii | CEO and Executive Director, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) |
Ms Karen Makishima | Member of the House of Representatives (LDP) |
Professor Yutaka Matsuo | Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo |
Mr Hidehiro Mitani | Member of the House of Representatives (LDP) |
Mr Keiichiro Nakamura | Senior Managing Executive Officer, Co-Head of Global Business/Banking Unit, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group/ Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation |
| Mr Mitsunari Okamoto | Member of the House of Representatives (Komei) |
| Mr Masahiro Oya | Executive Officer, Vice President, Global Strategic Planning & Marketing, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation |
Mr Yasuhisa Shiozaki | Chairperson, Keiso Nippon Initiative; Former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; former Japanese Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
Mr Isamu Suda | Deputy Senior General Manager, Defense Systems Division, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation |
Professor Akio Takahara | Professor, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, |
Professor Yukari Takamura | Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo |
Mr Keizo Takemi | Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; Member of the House of Councillors; former Japanese Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
Mr Yasunori Takeuchi | CEO/Representative Director, Corporate Action Japan |
Mr Akihiro Tsuji | Minister, Embassy of Japan in the UK |
Mr Koji Tsuruoka | President, The International Affairs Research Institute; former Japanese Ambassador to the UK |
Mr Masahiro Yamauchi | Managing Director and Head of International Business Planning Dept., Daiwa Securities Group Inc. |
Ms Harumi Yoshida | Member of the House of Representatives (CDP) |
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) |
| Dr Lisa Cameron MP | Member of Parliament (Conservative Party) |
| Mr Simon Chelton | Director of the Security Industry Council of Japan |
| Mr Philippe Fauchet | Founder, Mirasense Partners |
| Mr David Fitton | UK Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
| Ms Yuko Kidoguchi | Vice President Corporate Affairs, AstraZeneca KK |
| Dr Sylvain Lacomble | Vice President Commercial Operations EMEA, Terumo |
| Mr Richard Lloyd Parry | Asia Editor, The Times |
| Mr Mark Logan MP | Member of Parliament (Conservative Party) |
| H. E. Julia Longbottom | British Ambassador to Japan |
| Lord (Jack) McConnell | Member of the House of Lords (Labour Party) |
| Mr Paul Madden | Business Adviser, Professor and former Ambassador |
| Dr John Nilsson-Wright | Head, Japan and Koreas Programme, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge; Fuji Bank Associate Professor in Japanese Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge |
| Mr Rob Peer | BAE Systems Country Director Japan; President BAE Systems Japan GK |
| Mr Naokazu Saito | Director Government Policy and Government Affairs, AstraZeneca KK |
| Mr Edward Weeks | President and CEO, HSBC Japan |
| Ms Catherine West MP | Member of Parliament (Labour Party) |
OBSERVERS | |
| Mr Hiroyuki Goto | Manager, Europe, the Middle East and Africa Section, Regional Marketing Division, Global Strategic Planning & Marketing Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation |
| Dr Yohei Kiguchi | Founder and CEO, ENECHANGE Group |
| Mr Tetsuya Kodama | Executive Director, Nihon Cyber Defence Co |
| Ms Sherrie de Lacey | Research Analyst, Synergos Digital, UK |
| Mr Bradley Murray | Senior Policy Advisor, UK Ministry of Defence (on Sabbatical) |
| Mr Kimitake Nakamura | Deputy Director-General/Deputy Assistant Minister (Ambassador), European Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Dr Kazu Senshu | Chief Clinical and Regulatory Officer, Terumo |
| Ms Sayuri Takimoto | Associate Director, Government Affairs, AstraZeneca KK |
| Ms Tomomi Tsukakoshi | Deputy Director, Western Europe Division, European Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Ms Izumi Yamamoto | The Americas Section, Regional Marketing Division, Global Strategic Planning & Marketing Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation |
| Ms Sophie Warner-Fog | Political Counsellor, (Bilateral and Internal), British Embassy Tokyo |
| Ms Jessica Wells | Second Secretary Political (Bilateral and Internal), British Embassy Tokyo |
SECRETARIAT | |
| Ms Hifumi Tajima | Chief Program Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange |
| Mr Patrick Ishiyama | Digital and Print Production Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange |
