The 41st annual meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group convened in Fordham Abbey, Fordham, England, on February 14–16. The delegation began their stay in London, where the Japanese delegation paid a courtesy call to No. 10 Downing Street, where they were welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and attended a lunch hosted by Japan’s Ambassador to the UK.
More than 40 members from the United Kingdom and Japan traveled to Fordham, northeast of London, to participate in the dialogue. Over the course of eight sessions, politicians, journalists, businesspeople, and scholars discussed key topics including critical issues facing bilateral relations and global geopolitics, including the importance of universal healthcare as a means of combatting both noncommunicable diseases and infectious diseases; how the countries can promote greater partnership in science & technology and university education; the latest developments in and implications of IT, cyber, and AI; and promoting collaboration to address energy security and climate change.
A summary of discussions and recommendations was subsequently prepared by the co-chairs to be presented to their respective governments (see below). In Japan, the report was presented to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba by Co-chair Seiji Kihara (Member of the House of Representatives) on April 10, 2025.
March 13
LONDON PROGRAMME
March 14
FORDHAM ABBEY PROGRAMME
Opening remarks by Co-Chairmen
Lord McConnell, Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group
Seiji Kihara, Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group
Session 1: Latest Developments in Japanese and UK Politics and the Economy
UK SPEAKER: Philip Collins, Founder and Writer, The Draft
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Seiji Kihara
Session 2: The Importance of Universal Healthcare in Tackling Non-Communicable and Infectious Diseases
UK SPEAKER: Dr. Wendy Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, Unlimit Health
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Kayo Takuma, Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University
Session 3: Science and Technology Cooperation and University Partnerships
UK SPEAKER: Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive Universities UK
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Takahiro Ueyama, Special Advisor, Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office
Dinner
SPEAKER: Lord McDonald Of Salford, Master of Christ’s College Cambridge and former Head of HM Diplomatic Service
March 15
Session 4: Geopolitical Challenges
UK SPEAKER: Gillian Tett, Columnist and Member of the Editorial Board Financial Times, Provost of King’s College, Cambridge
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Yuichi Hosoya, Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University
COMMENTS: Hiroyuki Akita, Commentator, Nikkei
Session 5: Information, Cyber and AI
UK SPEAKER: Dr. Philip Shetler Jones, Senior Research Fellow Indo Pacific Security, Royal United Services Institute
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Ren Ito, Co-Founder and COO Sakana AI
Session 6: Energy Security and Climate Change
UK SPEAKER: Declan Burke, Director of Group Strategy SSE
JAPANESE SPEAKER: Hideaki Takase, Managing Corporate Executive Group CSO, MUFG Bank, Ltd.
March 16
Session 7: Chairmen’s Summary Dialogue
Session 8: Conclusions and Recommendations
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. Yasuo Hirano | Executive General Manager, Hitachi Europe GmbH – Brussels Office |
Prof. Yuichi Hosoya | Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University |
Mr. Ren Ito | Co-Founder & COO, Sakana AI |
Mr. Isao Kano | President, Japan Center for International Exchange; Japanese Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
Mr. Hideo Kawafune | Managing Executive Officer Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa Division and CEO of SMBC Bank International plc |
Mr. Shunji Kurita | President & CEO, Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V. |
Ms. Rui Matsukawa | Member of the House of Councillors (LDP) |
Mr. Mitsunari Okamoto | Member of the House of Representatives (Komei) |
Mr. Kazuto Omomo | Director, Strategy & Planning, Corporate Strategy, Eisai Europe Ltd. |
Mr. Koya Ozeki | European Bureau Chief, The Yomiuri Shimbun |
Mr. Kazumi Sugimoto | Member of the House of Representatives (JIP) |
Amb. Hiroshi Suzuki | Japanese Ambassador to UK |
Mr. Akihiko Takada | Senior Vice President, CRO, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Mitsubishi Corporation; Managing Director, Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) Plc.; General Manager, London Branch, Mitsubishi Corporation |
Mr. Hideaki Takase | Managing Corporate Executive Group CSO, MUFG Bank, Ltd |
Prof. Kayo Takuma | Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University |
Mr. Koji Tsuruoka | President, The International Affairs Research Institute; former Japanese Ambassador to the UK |
Dr. Takahiro Ueyama | Special Advisor, Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, Japan |
UK PARTICIPANTS | |
Lord (Jack) McConnell | UK Co-Chairman, UK-Japan 21st Century Group; House of Lords (Labour Party) |
Baroness (Elizabeth) Barker | House of Lords (Liberal Democratic Party) |
Mr. Declan Burke | Director of Group Strategy, SSE |
Sir Oliver Dowden MP | Member of Parliament (Conservative Party) |
Mr. Philip Collins | Founder and Writer-in-Chief, The Draft |
Mr. Philippe Fauchet | Founder, Mirasense Partners |
Mr. David Fitton | UK Executive Director, UK-Japan 21st Century Group |
Mr. Shaun Grady | Chairman AstraZeneca UK |
Ms. Monica Harding MP | Member of Parliament (Liberal Democratic Party) |
Dr. Wendy Harrison | Chief Executive Officer, Unlimit Health |
Ms. Sharon Hodgson MP | Member of Parliament (Labour Party) and UK Trade Envoy to Japan |
Mr. Stan Jackson | Global Public Affairs Lead, Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. |
Dr. Sylvain Lacomble | Vice President Commercial Operations EMEA, Terumo |
Lord (Andrew) Lansley | House of Lords (Conservative Party), Richmond Pharma |
H. E. Julia Longbottom | British Ambassador to Japan |
Dr. Ra Mason | Sasakawa Associate Professor of International Relations and Japanese Foreign Policy, University of East Anglia |
Ms. Cindy Ng | Senior Vice President Global Commercial, Terumo Blood and Cell Technology; Group Executive Office, Terumo Corporation |
Dr. John Nilsson-Wright | Head, Japan and Koreas Programme, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge; Fuji Bank Associate Prof. in Japanese Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge |
Ms. Sarah Owen MP | Member of Parliament (Labour Party) |
Mr. Rob Peer | President BAE Systems Japan GK |
Dr. Philip Shetler Jones | Senior Research Fellow, Indo Pacific Security, Royal United Services Institute |
Dr. Ben Spencer MP | Member of Parliament (Conservative Party) |
Ms. Vivienne Stern | Chief Executive, Universities UK |
Ms. Gillian Tett | Columnist and Member of the Editorial Board Financial Times, Provost of King’s College, Cambridge |
Sir David Warren | Chair, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Former Ambassador to Japan |
OBSERVERS | |
Mr. Tetsuya Kodama | Executive Director, Nihon Cyber Defence Co. |
Mr. Benedict Lockhart | Ministry of Defence |
Mr. Kotaro Katsuki | Minister, Embassy of Japan in UK |
Mr. Ryo Kusui | First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in UK |
Mr Masatoshi Sugiura | Director, Western Europe Division, European Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
SECRETARIAT | |
Mr. Arata Fukuoka | Support Officer |
Ms. Hifumi Tajima | Chief Program Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange |
