Japan–United Kingdom relations explained

Filetype:svg
Envoy2:
Julia Longbottom
(since 1 March 2021)
Envoytitle1:Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom
Envoy1:
Hiroshi Suzuki
(since November 2024)

are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between Japan and the United Kingdom.

History

The history of the relationship between Japan and England began in 1600 with the arrival of William Adams (Adams the Pilot, Miura Anjin), the first of very few non-Japanese samurai, on the shores of Kyushu at Usuki in present-day Ōita Prefecture. During the Sakoku period (1641–1853), there were no formal relations between the two countries, while the Dutch acted as intermediaries.

Formal diplomatic ties began with the treaty of 1854, which eventually led to the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902. This alliance marked the end of Britain's 'splendid isolation' since 1815, while, for Japan, it brought much-needed British support ahead of the looming Russo-Japanese War. Japan's victory over Russia solidified the alliance, which lasted for two decades. However, American pressure and the subsequent Four-Power Treaty of 1921 brought it to an end.

Relations deteriorated rapidly during the 1930s due to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and the cutoff of oil supplies in 1941 further escalated tensions. Japan declared war in December 1941 and, with overwhelming force, seized most British possessions east of India, including Hong Kong, British Borneo (with its vital oil reserves), Malaya, Singapore, and Burma. However, the British began pushing Japanese forces back after they reached the outskirts of India.

Relations improved in the 1950s–1970s and, as memories of the conflict faded, grew increasingly warm. In the 1970s, Emperor Hirohito and Queen Elizabeth II paid state visits to each other’s countries. Today, the United Kingdom and Japan have strong economic ties, with both being members of the G7 and the CPTPP. The two nations are also collaborating in the field of defence, most notably through the GCAP programme, the joint development of the next-generation fighter jet alongside Italy.

Chronology of Japanese–British relations

Beginning

Early

Sakoku

1854–1900

20th century

World War II

Post War

21st century

See also the chronology on the website of British Embassy, Tokyo.[62]

Britons in Japan

See main article: Britons in Japan.

The chronological list of Heads of the United Kingdom Mission in Japan.

Japanese in the United Kingdom

See main article: Japanese in the United Kingdom.

The family name is given in italics. Usually the family name comes first in regards to Japanese historical figures, but in modern times not so for the likes of Kazuo Ishiguro and Katsuhiko Oku, both well known in the United Kingdom.

Education

In Japan:
In the UK:
Former institutions in the UK:

Cultural relations

Sports

British sports had an impact on Japan during the Meiji modernisation.[67] Cricket was present in Japan's foreign settlements, played by both British and American expatriates, until baseball grew in popularity by the early 20th century.[68]

List of Japanese diplomatic envoys in the United Kingdom (partial list)

Ministers plenipotentiary

Ambassadors

List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Japan

See main article: List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Japan.

See also

Other Japanese bilateral relations

Other United Kingdom bilateral relations

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Samurai William, Giles Milton, 2003
  2. English Dreams and Japanese Realities: Anglo-Japanese Encounters Around the Globe, 1587-1673, Thomas Lockley, 2019, Revista de Cultura, p 126
  3. The observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt in his voyage into the South sea in the year 1593 :reprinted from the edition of 1622, Charles Ramsay Drinkwater Bethune, Richard Hawkins, 1847[1622], p.7
  4. Stephen Turnbull, Fighting ships of the Far East (2), p 12, Osprey Publishing
  5. Notice at the Tower of London
  6. The Red Seal permit was re-discovered in 1985 by Professor Hayashi Nozomu, in the Bodleian Library. Massarella, Derek; Tytler Izumi K. (1990) "The Japonian Charters" Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp 189–205.
  7. See https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/pages_from_connections_3_-_pages_16-23.pdf p.20
  8. https://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/ogilby.htm (Accessed 2 March 2021)
  9. See The English factory in Taiwan, 1670-1685, 1995, Anthony Farrington, Ts'ao Yung-ho, Chang Hsiu-jung, Huang Fu-san, Wu Mi-tsa, pp.1-20, National Taiwan University, Taipei
  10. https://books.google.com/books?id=9e1aAAAAcAAJ&q=adam See
  11. see https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Jy0QAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-Jy0QAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1 (Accessed 12/04/2022)
  12. Thierry Mormanne : "La prise de possession de l'île d'Urup par la flotte anglo-française en 1855", Revue Cipango, "Cahiers d'études japonaises", No 11 hiver 2004 pp. 209–236.
  13. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.1613 Information about 1885–87 Japanese exhibition at Knightsbridge
  14. Phillips Payson O'Brien, The Anglo-Japanese Alliance, 1902–1922. (2004).
  15. William Langer, The Diplomacy of Imperialism 1890–1902 (2nd ed. 1950), pp. pp 745–86.
  16. John L. Hennessey, "Moving up in the world: Japan's manipulation of colonial imagery at the 1910 Japan–British Exhibition." Museum History Journal 11.1 (2018): 24-41.
  17. Gowen. Robert. Great Britain and the Twenty-One Demands of 1915: Cooperation versus Effacement. The Journal of Modern History. 43. 1. 76–106. University of Chicago. 1971. 10.1086/240589. 144501814. 0022-2801.
  18. Malcolm Duncan Kennedy, The Estrangement of Great Britain and Japan, 1917-35 (Manchester UP, 1969).
  19. Gordon Lauren . Paul . 1978 . Human Rights in History: Diplomacy and Racial Equality at the Paris Peace Conference . Diplomatic History . 2 . 3. 257–278 . 10.1111/j.1467-7709.1978.tb00435.x. 154765654 .
  20. [John Bartlet Brebner|J. Bartlet Brebner]
  21. Bruce M. Petty, "Jump-Starting Japanese Naval Aviation." Naval History (2019) 33#6 pp 48-53.
  22. Book: H. P. Willmott. The Last Century of Sea Power: From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894–1922. 2009. Indiana U.P.. 496. 978-0253003560.
  23. Book: Paul W. Doerr. British Foreign Policy, 1919–1939. 1998. 120. 9780719046728.
  24. A.J.P. Taylor, English History: 1914–1945 (1965) pp 370–72.
  25. David Wen-wei Chang, "The Western Powers and Japan's Aggression in China: The League of Nations and" The Lytton Report"." American Journal of Chinese Studies (2003): 43–63. online
  26. Xiao Yiping, Guo Dehong, 中国抗日战争全史 Chapter 87: Japan 's Colonial Economic Plunder and Colonial Culture, 1993.
  27. Thomas S. Wilkins, "Anatomy of a Military Disaster: The Fall of" Fortress Singapore" 1942." Journal of Military History 73.1 (2009): 221–230.
  28. Book: Bond. Brian. Tachikawa. Kyoichi. British and Japanese Military Leadership in the Far Eastern War, 1941–1945 Volume 17 of Military History and Policy Series. 2004. 122. Routledge. 9780714685557.
  29. Peter Lowe, "After fifty years: the San Francisco Peace Treaty in the context of Anglo-Japanese relations, 1902–52." Japan Forum 15#3 (2003) pp 389–98.
  30. http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/treaty/pdfs/A-S38(1)-082.pdf Protocole entre le Gouvernement du Japon et le Gouvernement de la République française
  31. Web site: Ceremonies: State visits . Official web site of the British Monarchy . 27 November 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081106153300/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4935.asp . 6 November 2008 .
  32. Book: Mineko Iwasaki. Geisha of Gion: The True Story of Japan's Foremost Geisha. 2012. 287. 9781471105739.
  33. Web site: LinguaNews.com.
  34. The British-Japanese Parliamentary Group, About us, official site.
  35. Book: Chen, Muyang . The Latecomer's Rise: Policy Banks and the Globalization of China's Development Finance . 2024 . . 9781501775857 . Ithaca and London . 102.
  36. Book: Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 0-14-102715-0. 2006.
  37. Web site: Helen McCarthy – Re-creating Anime History: The Development of British Anime Fandom and the Developing Comprehension of Anime History as a Transnational Phenomenon – Animation Studies. 2022-01-18. en-US.
  38. News: UK: Akihito closes state visit. BBC News. 29 May 1998. 25 November 2008.
  39. Web site: January 2012 . About the Foreign & Commonwealth Office . March 30, 2022 . www.fco.gov.uk.
  40. Web site: HRH The Duke of Cambridge to visit Japan and China – Focus on cultural exchange and creative partnerships. princeofwales.gov.uk/. 2 March 2015.
  41. News: Parker. George. Japan calls for 'soft' Brexit – or companies could leave UK. 5 September 2016. Financial Times. 4 September 2016.
  42. News: Kamall: UK can replicate new EU-Japan trade deal . Conservative Europe . 12 December 2018 . 30 January 2019 . 23 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190323004210/http://conservativeeurope.com/news/kamall-uk-can-replicate-new-eu-japan-trade-deal . dead .
  43. News: UK and Japan agree historic free trade agreement . 11 September 2020 . GOV.UK . 11 September 2020.
  44. Web site: May 5, 2022 . UK and Japan reach new defense deal amid Russia concerns . May 7, 2022 . Associated Press.
  45. News: May 5, 2022 . UK and Japan sign military agreement amid Russia concerns . . May 5, 2022.
  46. News: 5 May 2022 . Japan, U.K. agree on defense pact amid China's rise in Indo-Pacific . Kyodo News . 5 May 2022.
  47. Web site: NHK . Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship arrives in London . https://web.archive.org/web/20220623003712/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220623_06/ . June 23, 2022.
  48. Web site: Japan's Imperial Couple attend Queen Elizabeth's state funeral without masks. 20 September 2022. 8 May 2023. Mainichi Shimbun. en.
  49. Web site: UK and Japan to sign major defence deal as PM Kishida visits London . 11 January 2023 . . en.
  50. Web site: Daly . Patrick . 11 January 2023 . Rishi Sunak and Japanese PM to agree closer defence links at Tower of London . 11 January 2023 . . en.
  51. News: Smout . Alistair . 2023-01-11 . Britain, Japan sign defence pact during PM Kishida visit to London . en . Reuters . 2023-01-12.
  52. Web site: Daly . Patrick . 11 January 2023 . Rishi Sunak and Japanese PM to agree closer defence links at Tower of London . 11 January 2023 . . en.
  53. Web site: Brown . Faye . 11 January 2023 . Rishi Sunak and Japanese PM sign 'most significant defence agreement in a century' . 11 January 2023 . . en.
  54. News: Smout . Alistair . 11 January 2023 . Britain, Japan to sign defence pact during PM Kishida visit to London . en . . 11 January 2023.
  55. News: Daly . Patrick . 11 January 2023 . Rishi Sunak and Japanese PM to agree closer defence links at Tower of London . en-GB . . 11 January 2023 . 0307-1235.
  56. Web site: 11 January 2023 . . Prime Minister hosts Japanese PM and agrees historic defence agreement . 11 January 2023 . . en-GB.
  57. Web site: Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko Arrive at Kings Charles's Coronation . 6 May 2023. 8 May 2023. Town & Country. en.
  58. Web site: 17 May 2023 . PM to agree historic UK-Japan Accord ahead of G7 . . 18 May 2023 .
  59. Web site: Japan-UK Leader's Working Dinner . 17 May 2023 . . 21 May 2023 .
  60. Web site: The Hiroshima Accord: an Enhanced Japan-UK Global Strategic Partnership . 17 May 2023 . . 21 May 2023 .
  61. News: 'A significant milestone for UK trade': Britain signs deal to join £12trn Indo-Pacific trading block . 2023-07-16. Sky News. 2023-07-16.
  62. Web site: British Embassy: UK-Japan Relations . 9 January 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927074429/http://www.uknow.or.jp/be_e/uk_japan/relations/ . 27 September 2007 . dmy-all .
  63. Britain and Japan: Biographical Portraits, Vol. VI, BRILL, 2003, Noboru Koyama pp. 393–401.
  64. Hiromi T. Rogers, 2016, Anjin: The Life and Times of Samurai William Adams as Seen Through Japanese Eyes, Renaissance Books.
  65. Gary P. Leupp, 2003, Interracial Intimacy in Japan: Western Men and Japanese Women, 1543 - 1900, pp. 56–57.
  66. Umeko Tsuda: a Pioneer in Higher Education for Women in Japan, Mari Kunieda, July–December 2020, Vol.7, No.2, p.37, Tiempo y Educación, Espacio,e-ISSN: 1698-7802, Tsuda University
  67. Abe . Ikuo . Mangan . J. A. . 1997 . The British impact on boys' sports and games in Japan: an introductory survey . The International Journal of the History of Sport . en . 14 . 2 . 187–199 . 10.1080/09523369708713990 . 0952-3367.
  68. Book: Guthrie-Shimizu, Sayuri . Transpacific Field of Dreams: How Baseball Linked the United States and Japan in Peace and War . 2012-04-04 . Univ of North Carolina Press . 978-0-8078-8266-5 . en.