Anglo-Japanese relations
Encyclopedia
The history of the relationship between Britain and Japan began in 1600 with the arrival of William Adams
(Adams the Pilot, Miura Anjin) on the shores of Kyūshū
at Usuki
in Ōita Prefecture
. During the Sakoku
period (1641–1853), there were no relations between the two countries, but the treaty of 1854 saw the resumption of ties which, despite a hiatus during the Second World War, remain very strong up until the present day. On 3rd May 2011, British Foreign Secretary William Hague
said that Japan was "unquestionably our closest partner in Asia".
See also the chronology
on the British Embassy website in Tokyo.
The chronological list of Heads of the United Kingdom Mission in Japan.
The family name is given in italics. Usually the family name comes first, but in modern times not
so for the likes of Kazuo Ishiguro and Katsuhiko Oku, both well-known in the United Kingdom.
William Adams (sailor)
William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
(Adams the Pilot, Miura Anjin) on the shores of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
at Usuki
Usuki, Oita
is a city located on the east coast of Ōita Prefecture, Japan. It is famous for its Usuki Stone Buddhas, a national treasure, and its soy sauce production. Recently it has become known for having the look and feel of a Japanese castle town...
in Ōita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...
. During the Sakoku
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
period (1641–1853), there were no relations between the two countries, but the treaty of 1854 saw the resumption of ties which, despite a hiatus during the Second World War, remain very strong up until the present day. On 3rd May 2011, British Foreign Secretary William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
said that Japan was "unquestionably our closest partner in Asia".
Chronology of Anglo-Japanese relations
- 1587. Two young Japanese men named Christopher and CosmasChristopher and CosmasChristopher and Cosmas were two Japanese men, only known by their Christian names, who are recorded to have travelled across the Pacific on a Spanish galleon in 1587, and later accompanied the English navigator Thomas Cavendish to England, Brazil and the Southern Atlantic, where they disappeared...
sailed on a Spanish galleonGalleonA galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
to California, where their ship was seized by Thomas CavendishThomas CavendishSir Thomas Cavendish was an English explorer and a privateer known as "The Navigator" because he was the first who deliberately tried to emulate Sir Francis Drake and raid the Spanish towns and ships in the Pacific and return by circumnavigating the globe...
. Cavendish brought the two Japanese men with him to England where they spent approximately three years before going again with him on his last expedition to the South Atlantic. They are the first known Japanese men to have set foot in England.
- 1600. William AdamsWilliam Adams (sailor)William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
, a seaman from Gillingham, KentGillingham, KentGillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
, was the first English adventurer to arrive in Japan. Acting as an advisor to the Tokugawa ShogunTokugawa shogunateThe Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, he was renamed Miura Anjin, granted a house and land, and spent the rest of his life in his adopted country.
- 1605. John DavisJohn Davis (English explorer)John Davis , was one of the chief English navigators and explorers under Elizabeth I, especially in Polar regions and in the Far East.-Early life:...
, the famous English explorer, was killed by Japanese pirates off the coast of ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, thus becoming the first known Englishman to be killed by a Japanese.
- 1613. Following an invitation from the William Adams in Japan, the English captain John SarisJohn SarisJohn Saris was the captain of the first English voyage to Japan, in 1613, on board The Clove. As chief factor of the British East India Company's trading post in Java, Saris' mission was primarily one of seeking trade....
arrived at Hirado in the ship Clove with the intent of establishing a trading factory. Adams and Saris travelled to ShizuokaShizuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
where they met with Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
at his principal residence in September before moving on to EdoEdo, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
where they met Ieyasu's son HidetadaTokugawa Hidetadawas the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
. During that meeting, Hidetada gave Saris two varnished suits of armour for King James IJames I of EnglandJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, today housed in the Tower of LondonTower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. On their way back, they visited Tokugawa once more, who conferred trading privileges on the English through a Red SealRed seal shipswere Japanese armed merchant sailing ships bound for Southeast Asian ports with a red-sealed patent issued by the early Tokugawa shogunate in the first half of the 17th century...
permit giving them "free licence to abide, buy, sell and barter" in Japan. The English party headed back to Hirado on 9 October 1613. However, during the ten year activity of the company between 1613 and 1623, apart from the first ship (Clove in 1613), only three other English ships brought cargoes directly from London to Japan.
- 1623. The Amboyna massacreAmboyna massacreThe Amboyna massacre was the 1623 torture and execution on Ambon Island , of twenty men, ten of whom were in the service of the British East India Company, by agents of the Dutch East India Company, on accusations of treason...
occurred. After the incident England closed its commercial base at HiradoHirado, Nagasakiis a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The part historically named Hirado is located on the island of the same name. With recent mergers, the city's boundaries have expanded, and Hirado now occupies parts of the main island of Kyūshū...
, now in Nagasaki PrefectureNagasaki Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
, without notifying Japan. After this, the relationship ended for more than two centuries.
- 1639. Tokugawa IemitsuTokugawa IemitsuTokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
announced his SakokuSakokuwas the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
policy. Only the Netherlands was permitted to retain limited trade rights.
- 1673. An English ship "Returner" visited Nagasaki harbour, and asked for a renewal of trading relations. But the Edo Shogunate refused. The government blamed it on the withdrawal 50 years earlier, and found it unacceptable that Charles II of EnglandCharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
married Catherine of BraganzaCatherine of BraganzaCatherine of Braganza was a Portuguese infanta and queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles II.She married the king in 1662...
, who was from Portugal, and favoured the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
- 1808. enters Nagasaki to attack Dutch shipping.
- 1832. OtokichiOtokichiwas a Japanese castaway originally from the area of Onoura near Mihama, on the west coast of the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture.- Biography :...
, Kyukichi and Iwakichi, castaways from Aichi PrefectureAichi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, crossed the Pacific and were shipwrecked on the west coast of North America. The three Japanese men became famous in the Pacific Northwest and probably inspired Ranald MacDonaldRanald MacDonaldRanald MacDonald was the first man to teach the English language in Japan, including educating Einosuke Moriyama, one of the chief interpreters to handle the negotiations between Commodore Perry and the Tokugawa Shogunate.-Early life:MacDonald was born at Fort Astoria, in the Pacific Northwest of...
to go to Japan. They joined a trading ship to the UK, and later MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. One of them, Otokichi, took British citizenship and adopted the name John Matthew Ottoson. He later made two visits to Japan as an interpreter for the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
- 1854. 14 October. The first limited Anglo-Japanese Friendship TreatyAnglo-Japanese Friendship TreatyThe between Britain and Japan was signed October 14, 1854 in Nagasaki. The United Kingdom was represented by Admiral Sir James Stirling, with the governors of Nagasaki representing the Tokugawa shogunate ....
was signed by Admiral Sir James Stirling and representatives of the Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa shogunateThe Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
(Bakufu).
- 1855. In an effort to find the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean during the Crimean warCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, a French-British naval force reached the port of Hakodate, open to British ships as a result of the Friendship Treaty of 1854, and sailed further North, seizing the Russian-American CompanyRussian-American CompanyThe Russian-American Company was a state-sponsored chartered company formed largely on the basis of the so-called Shelekhov-Golikov Company of Grigory Shelekhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov The Russian-American Company (officially: Under His Imperial Majesty's Highest Protection (patronage)...
's possessions on the island of UrupUrupUrup is an uninhabited volcanic island near in the south of the Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Its name is derived from the Ainu language word for salmon trout.-Geography and climate:...
in the Kuril archipelagoKuril IslandsThe Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
. The Treaty of Paris (1856)Treaty of Paris (1856)The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, Second French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The treaty, signed on March 30, 1856 at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory, closing it to all...
restitutes the island to Russia.
- 1858. 26 August. The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and CommerceAnglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and CommerceThe was signed on August 26, 1858 by Lord Elgin and the then representatives of the Japanese government . This was an unequal treaty, that gave Japan semi-colonial status.The concessions which Japan made were threefold:...
was signed by the Scot Lord ElginJames Bruce, 8th Earl of ElginSir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
and representatives of the Tokugawa shogunate for Japan, after the Harris Treaty was concluded.
- 1861. 5 July. The British legation in EdoEdo, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
was attacked.
- 1862. The ShogunShogunA was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
sends the First Japanese Embassy to Europe, led by Takenouchi Yasunori.
- 1862. 14 September. The Namamugi IncidentNamamugi IncidentThe was a samurai assault on foreign nationals in Japan on September 14, 1862, which resulted in the August 1863 bombardment of Kagoshima, during the Late Tokugawa shogunate...
occurred within a week of the arrival of Ernest Satow in Japan.
- 1863. Bombardment of Kagoshima by the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. (Anglo-Satsuma War).
The Chōshū FiveChoshu FiveThe were members of the Chōshū han of western Japan who studied in England from 1863 at University College London under the guidance of Professor Alexander William Williamson. It was still illegal to leave Japan when they left, as sakoku was still practically in force until the Meiji...
go secretly to England.
- 1864. Bombardment of ShimonosekiBombardment of ShimonosekiThe Battles for Shimonoseki refers to a series of military engagements in 1863 and 1864, fought to control Shimonoseki Straits by joint naval forces from the Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and the United States, against the Japanese feudal domain of Chōshū, which took place off and on the...
by Britain, France, the Netherlands and the USA.
- 1867. The Icarus affairIcarus affairThe was an incident involving the murder of two Royal Navy sailors in Nagasaki, Japan in 1867, leading to increased diplomatic tensions between the United Kingdom and the Bakumatsu period Tokugawa shogunate....
, an incident involving the murder of two British sailors in Nagasaki, leading to increased diplomatic tensions between Britain and the Tokugawa shogunate.
- 1872. The Iwakura missionIwakura missionThe Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy was a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world, initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs of the Meiji period. Although it was not the only such "mission", it is the most well-known and possibly most important for the modernization of Japan after a long period...
visited Britain as part of a diplomatic and investigative tour of the United States and Europe.
- 1873. The Imperial College of EngineeringImperial College of EngineeringThe Imperial College of Engineering was founded as a university at Tokyo in 1873, though its predecessor the existed from 1871. The name "Kobu Daigakko" dates from 1877. In modern-day parlance it would have been called an institute of technology....
opened with Henry DyerHenry DyerHenry Dyer was a Scottish engineer who contributed much to founding Western-style technical education in Japan and Anglo-Japanese relations.- Early life :...
as principal.
- 1885–87. Japanese exhibition at KnightsbridgeKnightsbridgeKnightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, London.
- 1891. The Japan Society of London is founded by Arthur Diosy.
- 1894. The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and NavigationAnglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and NavigationThe signed by Britain and Japan, on July 16, 1894, was a breakthrough agreement; it heralded the end of the unequal treaties and the system of extraterritoriality in Japan. The treaty came into force on July 17, 1899....
was signed in London on 16 July. The treaty abolished extraterritorialityExtraterritorialityExtraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Extraterritoriality can also be applied to physical places, such as military bases of foreign countries, or offices of the United Nations...
in Japan for British subjects with effect from 17 July 1899
- 1896. The Greek-born Northern Irish writer Lafcadio HearnLafcadio HearnPatrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
(KOIZUMI Yakumo), a British citizen, becomes a Japanese national.
- 1902. The Anglo-Japanese allianceAnglo-Japanese AllianceThe first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
was signed in London on 30 January.
- 1905. The Anglo-Japanese allianceAnglo-Japanese AllianceThe first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
was renewed and expanded.
- 1908. The Japan-British SocietyJapan-British SocietyThe Japan–British Society was founded in 1908 "to encourage the study of things British and to promote cordial relations between the peoples of Great Britain and Japan." It is the oldest bilateral organization in Japan, promoting international cooperation and exchanges.-Foundation of the...
was founded in order to foster cultural and social understanding.
- 1911. The Anglo-Japanese allianceAnglo-Japanese AllianceThe first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
was renewed.
- 1913. The IJN KongōJapanese battleship KongoKongō was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. She was the first battlecruiser of the Kongō class, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Her designer was the British naval engineer George Thurston, and she was laid down in 1911 at...
, the last of the British-built warships for Japan's navy, enters service.
- 1914. Japan joined World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as the United Kingdom's ally under the terms of the alliance and captured German-occupied Tsingtao (QingdaoQingdao' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
) in China Mainland.
- 1921. Crown Prince HirohitoHirohito, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
visited the UK and other European countries, via Singapore. It was the first time that a Japanese crown prince had traveled overseas.
- 1921. Arrival in September of the Sempill MissionSempill MissionThe Sempill Mission was a British aeronaval technical mission led by Captain the Master of Sempill and sent to Japan in September 1921, with the objective of helping the Imperial Japanese Navy develop its aeronaval forces...
in Japan, a British technical mission for the development of Japanese Aero-naval forces.
- 1923. The Anglo-Japanese alliance was officially discontinued on 17 August after U.S. pressure and other factors brought it to a close.
- 1939. The Tientsin IncidentTientsin Incidentwas an international incident created by a blockade by the Imperial Japanese Army's Japanese Northern China Area Army of the British settlements in the north China treaty port of Tianjin in June 1939...
almost causes an Anglo-Japanese war when the Japanese blockade the British concession in TientsinTianjin' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, China.
- 1941–1945. Japan enters World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as an enemy of the British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and captures British colonies MalayaBritish MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, Burma, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Many British POWs die in Japanese captivity.
- 1948. The 1948 Summer Olympics1948 Summer OlympicsThe 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
was held in London. Japan did not participate.
- 1951. Treaty of San FranciscoTreaty of San FranciscoThe Treaty of Peace with Japan , between Japan and part of the Allied Powers, was officially signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California...
– the peace treaty in which Anglo-Japanese relations were normalized. One condition of the treaty was Japan's acceptance of the judgments of the Tokyo War Crimes TribunalInternational Military Tribunal for the Far EastThe International Military Tribunal for the Far East , also known as the Tokyo Trials, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, or simply the Tribunal, was convened on April 29, 1946, to try the leaders of the Empire of Japan for three types of crimes: "Class A" crimes were reserved for those who...
(Article 11).
- 1963. The University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
set Japanese as a subject in its Oriental InstituteOriental Institute, OxfordThe Oriental Institute of the University of Oxford, England, is home to the university's Faculty of Oriental Studies. It is engaged in research and teaching of a wide range of disciplines covering modern and historical Asian languages and culture...
(the Sub-Faculty of East Asian Studies).
- 1966. The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
played at Nippon BudokanNippon BudokanThe , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
in Tokyo to overwhelming adulation. This performance emphasized growing good will between Britain and Japan in their foreign relations policies.
- 1971. HIMImperial Majesty (style)Imperial Majesty is a style used by Emperors and Empresses. The style is used to distinguish the status of an emperor/empress from that of a king/queen, who are simply styled Majesty or Royal Majesty...
Emperor Hirohito pays a state visitState visitA state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to the United Kingdom after an interval of 50 years.
- 1975. HMMajestyMajesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
Queen Elizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
pays a state visitState visitA state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to Japan.
- 1978. Beginning of the BET scheme (British Exchange Teaching Programme) first advocated by Nicholas MacLean.
- 1983. Naruhito (now Japan Crown Prince) studied at Merton College, OxfordMerton College, OxfordMerton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
until 1985, and researched transport on the River ThamesRiver ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
- 1986. Nissan MotorsNissan Motors, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
began to operate its car plant in SunderlandCity of SunderlandThe City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
, as Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) LtdNissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) LtdNissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd, or NMUK is a car manufacturing plant in Washington, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. It is owned and operated by the European division of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. It is the largest car plant in the United Kingdom, and the most productive in Europe...
.
- 1986. Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
visited Japan with his wife, DianaDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
.
- 1987. JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) program starts when the BET scheme and the Fulbright scholarship are merged.
- 1988. The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese FoundationThe Daiwa Anglo-Japanese FoundationThe Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is a United Kingdom-based charity established in 1988 to support closer links between Britain and Japan...
established.
- 1990. The Alumni Association for British JET Participants JETAA UK is established
- 1991. The first SumoSumois a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
tournament to be held outside Japan is hosted at the Royal Albert HallRoyal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London.
- 1998. HIMImperial Majesty (style)Imperial Majesty is a style used by Emperors and Empresses. The style is used to distinguish the status of an emperor/empress from that of a king/queen, who are simply styled Majesty or Royal Majesty...
Emperor AkihitoAkihitois the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
pays a state visitState visitA state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to the United Kingdom.
- 2001. The year-long "Japan 2001" cultural-exchange project saw a major series of Japanese cultural, educational and sporting events held around the UK.
- 2007. HIMImperial Majesty (style)Imperial Majesty is a style used by Emperors and Empresses. The style is used to distinguish the status of an emperor/empress from that of a king/queen, who are simply styled Majesty or Royal Majesty...
Emperor AkihitoAkihitois the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
pays his second state visitState visitA state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to the United Kingdom.
- 2008. UK-Japan 2008 celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
- 2011. UK sends over rescue men with rescue dogs and supplies to help the Japanese, after the earthquake.2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiThe 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
See also the chronology
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
on the British Embassy website in Tokyo.
Britons in Japan
- William AdamsWilliam Adams (sailor)William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
(Miura Anjin) - Rutherford AlcockRutherford AlcockSir Rutherford Alcock KCB was the first British diplomatic representative to live in Japan.-Early life:Alcock was the son of the physician, Dr. Thomas Alcock, who practised at Ealing, near London. As he grew up, Alcock followed his father into the medical profession...
, diplomat - William George AstonWilliam George AstonWilliam George Aston was a British diplomat, author and scholar-expert in the language and history of Japan and Korea.-Early life:...
, consular official and Japanologist - William Edward AyrtonWilliam Edward Ayrton-See also:*Henry Dyer*John Milne*Anglo-Japanese relations...
, Professor of physics & telegraphy - Thomas BatyThomas BatyThomas Baty was a British lawyer and expert on international law.-Life and legal career:He was born in Stanwix, Cumberland, UK to a middle class family. At school, he was a very gifted student and was given a scholarship to study at Queen's College at Oxford...
, legal adviser. - Felice BeatoFelice BeatoFelice Beato , also known as Felix Beato, was an Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first war photographers. He is noted for his genre works, portraits, and views and panoramas of the architecture and landscapes of Asia and...
– British/Italian/Corfiote photographer - Isabella BirdIsabella BirdIsabella Lucy Bird was a nineteenth-century English explorer, writer, and a natural historian.-Early life:Bird was born in Boroughbridge in 1831 and grew up in Tattenhall, Cheshire...
– Victorian traveller and author - John Reddie BlackJ. R. BlackJohn Reddie Black was a Scottish publisher, journalist, writer, photographer, and singer. Much of his career was spent in China and Japan where he published several newspapers including The Far East, a fortnightly newsmagazine illustrated with original photographs.-Early life:John Reddie Black was...
, publisher of newspapers - Duncan Gordon BoyesDuncan Gordon BoyesDuncan Gordon Boyes VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
– winner of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
at Shimonoseki, 1864 - Richard Henry BruntonRichard Henry BruntonRichard Henry Brunton FRGS MICE was the so-called "Father of Japanese lighthouses". Brunton was born in Muchalls, Kincardineshire, Scotland...
, Father of Japanese lighthouses - Basil Hall ChamberlainBasil Hall ChamberlainBasil Hall Chamberlain was a professor of Tokyo Imperial University and one of the foremost British Japanologists active in Japan during the late 19th century. He also wrote some of the earliest translations of haiku into English...
, Professor and Japanologist - Edward Bramwell ClarkeEdward Bramwell ClarkeEdward Bramwell Clarke was an educator in Meiji period Japan, who is credited with introducing the sport of rugby to Japan.-Biography:...
, Professor who helped introduce rugby to Japan - Samuel CockingSamuel CockingSamuel Cocking was a British trader in Yokohama arriving in 1869, shortly after the “Opening of Japan”. He is most famous for the large greenhouse and gardens that he developed in Enoshima...
– Yokohama merchant - Josiah ConderJosiah Conder (architect)Josiah Conder was a British architect who worked as a foreign advisor to the government of Meiji period Japan...
, architect - Hugh CortazziHugh CortazziSir Arthur Henry Hugh Cortazzi, GCMG is a British diplomat. Best known as Hugh Cortazzi, he is also a distinguished international businessman, academic, author and prominent Japanologist...
, scholar and former ambassador - James Main DixonJames Main DixonJames Main Dixon FRSE was a Scottish teacher and author, and an important scholar of the Scots language. He graduated at St...
(1856–1933). Former FRSE. After teaching at the Imperial University of Tokyo, he moved to the University of South California. - Archibald DouglasArchibald Lucius DouglasAdmiral Sir Archibald Lucius Douglas, GCB, GCVO was a Royal Navy officer of the 19th century.-Naval career:Douglas was born in Quebec City in pre-Confederation Canada in 1842...
, leader of a naval mission to Japan in the early 1870s - Henry DyerHenry DyerHenry Dyer was a Scottish engineer who contributed much to founding Western-style technical education in Japan and Anglo-Japanese relations.- Early life :...
, first principal of the Imperial College of EngineeringImperial College of EngineeringThe Imperial College of Engineering was founded as a university at Tokyo in 1873, though its predecessor the existed from 1871. The name "Kobu Daigakko" dates from 1877. In modern-day parlance it would have been called an institute of technology....
(Kobu Daigakko) - Lord ElginJames Bruce, 8th Earl of ElginSir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
, signed the 1858 treaty - James Alfred EwingJames Alfred EwingSir James Alfred Ewing KCB FRS FRSE MInstitCE was a Scottish physicist and engineer, best known for his work on the magnetic properties of metals and, in particular, for his discovery of, and coinage of the word, hysteresis.It was said of Ewing that he was 'Careful at all times of his appearance,...
, Professor - Hugh Fraser, British minister 1889–94
- Thomas Blake GloverThomas Blake GloverThomas Blake Glover, Order of the Rising Sun was a Scottish merchant in Bakumatsu and Meiji period Japan.-Early life :...
, Scottish trader - Abel GowerAbel GowerAbel Anthony James Gower was a British consul at two posts in Japan during the Bakumatsu: Nagasaki and Hakodate. He was also an amateur photographer....
, consul - William GowlandWilliam GowlandWilliam Gowland was an English mining engineer most famous for his archaeological work at Stonehenge and in Japan. He is known in Japan as the "Father of Japanese Archaeology", which is an exaggeration. He was a major founding figure....
, 1842–1922, Father of Japanese archaeology - Thomas Lomar GrayThomas Lomar GrayThomas Lomar Gray was a Scottish engineer noted for his pioneering work in seismology.-Early life:Born in Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland, Gray graduated in 1878 from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in engineering...
, engineering professor - Arthur Hasketh GroomArthur Hasketh GroomArthur Hesketh Groom founded the Kobe Golf Club on May 24, 1903 which was Japan's first ever golf club. Groom came to Japan in 1868 and became a long-term resident of Kobe...
, creator of the first golf course in Japan - John Harington GubbinsJohn Harington Gubbins-Education:Gubbins attended Harrow School and would have gone on to Cambridge University, had family finances allowed.-Career:Gubbins was appointed a student interpreter in the British Japan Consular Service in 1871; English Secretary to the Conference at Tokyo for the Revision of the Treaties,...
, diplomat - Joseph Henry LongfordJoseph Henry LongfordJoseph Henry Longford was a British consular official in the British Japan Consular Service from 24 February 1869 until 15 August 1902...
, consul and academic - Claude Maxwell MacDonaldClaude Maxwell MacDonaldColonel Sir Claude Maxwell MacDonald GCMG GCVO KCB PC was a British diplomat, best known for his service in China and Japan.-Biography:...
, diplomat - Ranald MacDonaldRanald MacDonaldRanald MacDonald was the first man to teach the English language in Japan, including educating Einosuke Moriyama, one of the chief interpreters to handle the negotiations between Commodore Perry and the Tokugawa Shogunate.-Early life:MacDonald was born at Fort Astoria, in the Pacific Northwest of...
, the first English teacher in Japan - John MilneJohn MilneFor other uses, see John Milne .John Milne was the British geologist and mining engineer who worked on a horizontal seismograph.-Biography:...
, Professor and Father of Seismology - Algernon Bertram Mitford (Lord Redesdale), diplomat
- James Murdoch – eccentric teacher, journalist, historian
- Edward St. John NealeEdward St. John NealeEdward St. John Neale was a British Lieutenant-Colonel and Diplomat who was active in Asia in the 1860s. He was the Chargé d'affaires of Great Britain in Japan in 1862-1863. Neale, who had been stationed in Beijing from 1860 as Secretary of the Legation following the settlement of the Second Opium...
, Lt.-Col, Secretary of Legation then Chargé d'Affaires 1862–1863 - Laurence Oliphant – Secretary of Legation in 1861
- Henry Spencer PalmerHenry Spencer PalmerMajor General Henry Spencer Palmer was a British army military engineer and surveyor, noted for his work in developing Yokohama harbor in the Empire of Japan as a foreign advisor to the Japanese government-Biography:...
– engineer and Times correspondent - Harry Smith ParkesHarry Smith ParkesSir Harry Smith Parkes was a 19th century British diplomat who worked mainly in China and Japan...
, diplomat - David PeaceDavid PeaceDavid Peace is an English author. Known for his novels GB84, The Damned Utd, and Red Riding Quartet, Peace was named one of the Best of Young British Novelists by Granta in their 2003 list...
, novelist, whose most recent novel are set in post-World War II JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. - John PerryJohn Perry (engineer)John Perry was a pioneering engineer and mathematician from Ireland. He was born on February 14, 1850 at Garvagh, County Londonderry, the second son of Samuel Perry and a Scottish-born wife....
, colleague of Ayrton at the Imperial College of EngineeringImperial College of EngineeringThe Imperial College of Engineering was founded as a university at Tokyo in 1873, though its predecessor the existed from 1871. The name "Kobu Daigakko" dates from 1877. In modern-day parlance it would have been called an institute of technology....
, Tokyo - Charles Lennox RichardsonCharles Lennox RichardsonCharles Lennox Richardson was an English merchant based in Shanghai who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His name is properly spelled as “Charles Lenox Richardson” according to the census and family documents.-Merchant:Richardson was born in London in 1834. He relocated to...
– slain in the Namamugi Incident - Ernest Mason SatowErnest Mason SatowSir Ernest Mason Satow PC, GCMG, , known in Japan as "" , known in China as "薩道義" or "萨道义", was a British scholar, diplomat and Japanologist....
, diplomat and Japanologist - Alexander Cameron Sim – founder of Kobe Regatta & Athletic ClubKobe Regatta & Athletic ClubThe Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club, founded September 23rd, 1870 by Alexander Cameron Sim recently celebrated its 140th Anniversary, and is Japan's oldest sports club. The Club moved to a newly manufactured building at the end of 1870 and held its first-ever regatta on December 24, 1870...
, introduced lemonade (ramune) to Japan. - Admiral Sir James StirlingJames Stirling (Australian governor)Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
– signed the 1854 treaty - Walter WestonWalter WestonThe Reverend Walter Weston , was an English clergyman, missionary, and mountaineer.-Background and early life:...
, Rev. who publicised the term "Japanese Alps" - William Willis, Dr.
- Charles WirgmanCharles WirgmanCharles Wirgman was an English artist and cartoonist, the creator of the Japan Punch and illustrator in China and Meiji period Japan for the Illustrated London News....
, editor of Japan Punch
The chronological list of Heads of the United Kingdom Mission in Japan.
Japanese in the United Kingdom
(see article Japanese in the United Kingdom).The family name is given in italics. Usually the family name comes first, but in modern times not
so for the likes of Kazuo Ishiguro and Katsuhiko Oku, both well-known in the United Kingdom.
- Aoki ShūzōAoki Shuzowas a diplomat and Foreign Minister in Meiji period Japan.-Biography:Viscount Aoki was born to a samurai family as son of the Chōshū domain's physician in what is now part of Sanyō Onoda in Yamaguchi Prefecture)...
– diplomat, signed the 1894 treaty in London - Hayashi TadasuHayashi Tadasuwas a career diplomat and cabinet minister in Meiji period Japan. Baron Matsumoto Ryōjun, the onetime private physician to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and founder of the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps, was Hayashi’s brother.- Early life :...
- Inagaki ManjirōInagaki Manjirowas a Japanese diplomat and political theorist that was active during the Meiji period of Japan.- Early life :Inagaki was born in Nagasaki, as the son of a samurai of the Hirado Domain...
, Cambridge University graduate and diplomat - Kazuo IshiguroKazuo IshiguroKazuo Ishiguro OBE or ; born 8 November 1954) is a Japanese–English novelist. He was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and his family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing...
- Iwakura TomomiIwakura Tomomiwas a Japanese statesman in the Meiji period. The former 500 Yen banknote issued by the Bank of Japan carried his portrait.-Early life:Iwakura was born in Kyoto as the second son of a low-ranking courtier and nobleman . In 1836 he was adopted by another nobleman, , from whom he received his family...
– see Iwakura missionIwakura missionThe Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy was a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world, initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs of the Meiji period. Although it was not the only such "mission", it is the most well-known and possibly most important for the modernization of Japan after a long period...
especially - Kikuchi DairokuKikuchi DairokuBaron was a mathematician, educator, and educational administrator in Meiji period Japan.-Kikuchi's life and career:Kikuchi was born in Edo , as the second son of Mitsukuri Shuhei...
, Cambridge University graduate and politician - Mori ArinoriMori ArinoriViscount was a Meiji period Japanese statesman, diplomat and founder of Japan's modern educational system.-Early life:Mori was born in the Satsuma domain from a samurai family, and educated in the Kaisenjo School for Western Learning run by the Satsuma domain...
- Natsume SōsekiNatsume Soseki, born ', is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period . He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales...
- Katsuhiko OkuKatsuhiko OkuKatsuhiko Oku was a Japanese diplomat who played rugby for Oxford and Waseda University...
– Oxford University rugby player, diplomat in Japanese embassy in London who died in Iraq, 2003. Posthumously promoted to ambassador. See also the Oku-Inoue fund for the children of Iraq. - Kishichiro Okura, entrepreneur
- Hisashi OwadaHisashi Owadais a former Japanese diplomat and a judge on the International Court of Justice, and currently serves as its President, having been elected to this post in 2009.-Early life:Hisashi Owada was born in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. After earning a B.A...
, Cambridge University graduate, father of Princess Masako - Suematsu KenchōSuematsu KenchoViscount was a Japanese politician, intellectual and author, who lived in the Meiji and Taishō periods. Apart from his activity in the Japanese government, he also wrote several important works on Japan in English...
, Cambridge University graduate and statesman - Ginnosuke Tanaka, Cambridge University graduate, introduced rugby to Japan
- Tōgō HeihachirōTogo HeihachiroFleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
– the Nelson of the East - Yamao YōzōYamao YozoViscount was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who became an influential member of the Meiji era government of Japan.-Early life:Yamao was born in Akiu, a village in Chōshū domain , and had received the traditional training of a samurai at a private school in Edo...
- Taka HiroseTaka HiroseTakashi "Taka" Hirose is a Japanese musician who is the current bass guitarist for the rock band, Feeder.-Biography:...
, Bassist of the band FeederFeeder-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage... - Naoko MoriNaoko Moriis a British-Japanese actress known for roles as Sarah, Saffron's "odd" friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty, and Toshiko Sato in Doctor Who and Torchwood.-Early life:...
, actress – famous for playing Toshiko Sato in TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
and Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... - Yūki AmamiYuki Amamiis a Japanese actress.-Career:Amami joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1987 and retired in 1995. Amami was the youngest actress in the company's history to be cast in a top male role...
, actress - studied in England
Ministers Plenipotentiaries
- Terashima MunenoriTerashima MunenoriCount was a diplomat in Meiji period Japan.-Early life:Terashima was born to a samurai family in Satsuma domain . He studied rangaku and was appointed as a physician to Satsuma daimyō Shimazu Nariakira...
1872-1873 - Kagenori UenoKagenori Uenowas Japanese Consul in Great Britain from 1874 to 1879. In 1875 was involved in negotiations with the Ottoman Turkish Ambassador to London about the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations between the Turkish and the Japanese governments.-References:...
1874-1879 - Mori ArinoriMori ArinoriViscount was a Meiji period Japanese statesman, diplomat and founder of Japan's modern educational system.-Early life:Mori was born in the Satsuma domain from a samurai family, and educated in the Kaisenjo School for Western Learning run by the Satsuma domain...
1880-1884 - Masataka KawaseMasataka KawaseViscount , a.k.a. ' was a Japanese Shishi, and later, a diplomat.He attended some battle in 1860s at Chōshū Domain. Especially, in 1865, he was the commander in Kōzan-ji uprising, as Hirobumi Ito, under Shinsaku Takasugi. He also served at the Second Chōshū expedition, and led the Chōshū Army to...
1884-1893 - Aoki ShūzōAoki Shuzowas a diplomat and Foreign Minister in Meiji period Japan.-Biography:Viscount Aoki was born to a samurai family as son of the Chōshū domain's physician in what is now part of Sanyō Onoda in Yamaguchi Prefecture)...
1894 - Katō TakaakiKato TakaakiCount was a Japanese politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Japan from 11 June 1924 to 28 January 1926. He was also known as Katō Kōmei.- Early life :...
1895-1900 - Hayashi TadasuHayashi Tadasuwas a career diplomat and cabinet minister in Meiji period Japan. Baron Matsumoto Ryōjun, the onetime private physician to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and founder of the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps, was Hayashi’s brother.- Early life :...
1900-1905
Ambassadors
- Hayashi TadasuHayashi Tadasuwas a career diplomat and cabinet minister in Meiji period Japan. Baron Matsumoto Ryōjun, the onetime private physician to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and founder of the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps, was Hayashi’s brother.- Early life :...
1905-1906 - Komura JutarōKomura Jutarowas a statesman and diplomat in Meiji period Japan.-Biography:Komura was born to a lower-ranking samurai family in service of the Obi clan at Nichinan, Hyuga province . He attended the Daigaku Nankō...
1906-1908 - Katō TakaakiKato TakaakiCount was a Japanese politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Japan from 11 June 1924 to 28 January 1926. He was also known as Katō Kōmei.- Early life :...
2nd time, 1908–1912 - Katsunosuke InoueKatsunosuke Inouewas a Japanese diplomat.-Diplomatic career:Inoue served as Minister Plenipotentiary to Belgium in 1898. In 1898-1906 he served as Minister Plenipotentiary in Berlin, and in 1906 became the first Japanese Ambassador to Wilhelmine Germany, serving in that position until 1908. He served as Ambassador...
1913-1916 - Chinda SutemiChinda SutemiCount was a Japanese diplomat. In 1877 he went to study at DePauw University. He got his BA in 1881, and MA in 1884. In 1882 he married, and subsequently had one son.-Diplomatic career:...
1916-1920 - Gonsuke HayashiGonsuke Hayashiwas a diplomat during Meiji and Taishō period Japan.-Biography:Hayashi was born in Aizu Domain . His grandfather, Hayashi Yasusada was a noted samurai leader in the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, but fighting for the Tokugawa shogunate...
1920-1925 - Keishiro MatsuiKeishiro Matsuiwas a Japanese statesman and diplomat.-Biography:Matsui was a native of Osaka Prefecture, and a graduate of the Law School of Tokyo Imperial University in 1889. He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the same year. In 1890, he was assigned to the Japanese embassy in Seoul, Korea, and in 1895...
1925-1928 - Matsudaira TsuneoMatsudaira Tsuneowas a Japanese diplomat of the 20th century.- Diplomatic and political career :The son of Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu, Tsuneo served as Japanese Ambassador to the United States. In 1929–1935 served as Ambassador to Britain, and in that capacity represented his country at the London Conference on...
1929-1935 - Shigeru YoshidaShigeru Yoshida, KCVO was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954.-Early life:...
1936-1938 - Mamoru ShigemitsuMamoru Shigemitsuwas a Japanese diplomat and politician in the Empire of Japan, who served as the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs at the end of World War II.-Biography:...
1938-1941 - Shunichi MatsumotoShunichi Matsumotowas a Japanese diplomat.-Diplomatic career:Matsumoto served as Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Cabinet of General Hideki Tōjō in 1942, and Japanese Ambassador to French Indochina from November 1944 to March 1945, shortly before the Japanese authorities took actual control of the area...
1952-1955 - Haruhiko NishiHaruhiko Nishiwas a Japanese diplomat.-Prewar service:In 1925, as diplomatic relations between the Soviet and the Japanese governments were established, was appointed Secretary of the Embassy in Moscow. Served as Counselor of the Embassy in Moscow from June 1939 to August 1940....
1955-1957 - Katsumi ŌnoKatsumi Ōnowas a Japanese diplomat.He entered the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1929 and served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1957-1958. He served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1958-1964.- References :...
1958-1964 - Morio YukawaMorio Yukawawas a Japanese economist and diplomat.Served in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Second World War and took part in the Japanese official delegation that met US General Douglas McArthur in Manila on August 19, 1945 in order to make arrangements for the Japanese surrender...
1968-1972 - Haruki MoriHaruki Moriwas a Japanese diplomat.Following the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the Japanese and the Italian governments in 1952, was appointed Councellor of the Embassy in Italy. In the late 1960s served as Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in that capacity concluded the Japanese-OECD...
1972-? - Masaki OritaMasaki Oritais a Japanese lawyer specializing in international law. He is currently on the board of directors of the NGO Japan Center for Conflict Prevention....
2001-2004 - Yoshiji NogamiYoshiji Nogamiis a Japanese diplomat.He joined the Japanese ministry of Foreign Affairs during the late 1960s. On January 30, 2002 he was dismissed from his position as Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs following disagreement with Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka over the participation of two NGOs in the conference...
2004-2008 - Shin EbiharaShin Ebiharais present Japanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom.Ebihara started his diplomatic career in 1971, as quit the University of Tokyo and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served as Deputy Director General of the Bureau of Middle Eastern and African Affairs, Director General of the Bureau...
2008–present
See also
- British Japan Consular ServiceBritish Japan Consular ServiceBritain had a functioning consular service in Japan from 1859 after the signing of the 1858 Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce between James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and the Tokugawa Shogunate until 1941 when war was declared by Britain on Japan as the ally of the United States after the...
- o-yatoi gaikokujinO-yatoi gaikokujinThe Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
– foreign employees in Meiji era Japan - Foreign cemeteries in JapanForeign cemeteries in JapanThe foreign cemeteries in Japan are chiefly located in Tokyo and at the former treaty ports of Nagasaki, Kobe, Yokohama, and Hakodate. They contain the mortal remains of long-term Japan residents, and are separate from any of the military cemeteries.-Tokyo:The Tokyo foreign cemetery is a section...
- Japan Society of London
- German–Japanese relations
- British Japanese, British people of Japanese descent
- Anglo-Chinese relationsAnglo-Chinese relationsBritish–Chinese relations , also known as Sino-British relations and Anglo-Chinese relations, refers to the interstate relations between China and the United Kingdom. Although on opposing sides of the Cold War, both countries were allies during World War II, and are members of the UN...
- Iwakura missionIwakura missionThe Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy was a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world, initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs of the Meiji period. Although it was not the only such "mission", it is the most well-known and possibly most important for the modernization of Japan after a long period...
- gaikoku bugyōGaikoku bugyowere the commissioners or "magistrates of foreign affairs" appointed at the end of the Edo era by the Tokugawa shogunate to oversee trade and diplomatic relations with foreign countries...
- Chōshū FiveChoshu FiveThe were members of the Chōshū han of western Japan who studied in England from 1863 at University College London under the guidance of Professor Alexander William Williamson. It was still illegal to leave Japan when they left, as sakoku was still practically in force until the Meiji...
- Japanese students in Britain
Reference books
- Britain & Japan: Biographical Portraits, Volume V, edited by Hugh CortazziHugh CortazziSir Arthur Henry Hugh Cortazzi, GCMG is a British diplomat. Best known as Hugh Cortazzi, he is also a distinguished international businessman, academic, author and prominent Japanologist...
, Global Oriental 2004, ISBN 1-901903-48-6 - British Envoys in Japan 1859–1972, edited and compiled by Hugh Cortazzi, Global Oriental 2004, ISBN 1-901903-51-6
- Denney, John. Respect and Consideration: Britain in Japan 1853 - 1868 and beyond. Radiance Press (2011). ISBN 978-0-9568798-0-6
External links
- A Bibliography of Anglo-Japanese relations – at Cambridge University
- The Asiatic Society of Japan – in Tokyo
- The British Association for Japanese Studies
- The British Consulate – in Nagoya
- The British Consulate-General – in Osaka
- The British Council in Japan – the cultural arm of the British government overseas
- The British Chamber of Commerce in Japan
- The British Embassy – in Tokyo
- The British Trade Promotion Office in Fukuoka (closed June 2005)
- The Cambridge & Oxford Society – founded in Tokyo in 1905
- The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation – in London and Tokyo
- The Embassy of Japan – in London
- The Great Britain Sasakawa foundation – in London and Tokyo
- The Japan Society – founded in London in 1891
- The Japan-British Society – founded in Japan in 1908
- Japan-U.K. Relations at Japan's Ministry of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
Official Website. - JETAA UK Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association United Kingdom