As Japan and the UK face serious challenges at home and in their respective regions, this report makes the case that a stronger relationship could advance each country’s ability to address shared global concerns.
A Japanese translation of the report is also available as a PDF via this link.
The UK–Japan Global Seminar series, coordinated and led by Chatham House, is funded by The Nippon Foundation and held in partnership with The Nippon Foundation and The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
This report is a collective endeavour. It represents the culmination of more than five years of joint research and deliberation between Japanese and UK colleagues, as well as insights from a range of seminar and conference participants (including both academics and officials) from Europe, Asia and North America.
The editor is especially grateful to the heads of the three partner organizations, Yohei Sasakawa, Brendan Griggs and Robin Niblett, for their support throughout the project, as well as to Stephen McEnally, Brendan’s predecessor as CEO of The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
He also thanks the current and former UK and Japan steering committee members who have contributed to and advised the project since 2013. This group includes Yuichi Hosoya, Harukata Takenaka, Tomohiko Taniguchi and Akiko Yamanaka (individual chapter authors), as well as Kiichi Fujiwara, Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, Sir David Warren and Sir David Wright.
The editor is particularly grateful to the Chatham House staff (past and present) involved in the project and in the development and production of this report, including James Hannah, Jo Maher, Olivia Nelson, Champa Patel, Lucy Ridout, Thomas Ringheim, Chloe Sageman, Jake Statham, Michael Tsang and Joshua Webb. Thanks are also due to Margaret May and Anna Brown for their contribution in editing earlier drafts of the report.
He would also like to thank the staff of the project partners. From The Nippon Foundation, this includes James Huffman, Ichiro Kabasawa, Takahiro Nanri, Masato Seko, Misa Tanaka, Tatsuya Tanami and Yuko Tani; and from The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Kyoko Haruta and Rory Steele, as well as the Trustees of The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
In formulating the report, the authors have drawn, in part, on the perspective of a wide range of British and Japanese officials, ambassadors, civil servants and politicians (both current and retired). Responsibility for the final report and its findings rests exclusively with the editor and the individual authors, and not with the partner organizations.
Finally, the editor is particularly appreciative of the contributions of the report authors and the independent and anonymous peer reviewers who reviewed parts and all of this report, and whose expertise and comments have informed, enhanced and helped shape this final version.
