HM Ambassador to Japan David Warren

Welcome to the website of the British Embassy in Japan, where you will find comprehensive information about the UK Government's policies and priorities, advice on doing business with the UK, and access to Consular and Visa Services.

Relations between the UK and Japan have grown and developed from the time Will Adams arrived on the shores of Kyushu in 1600 and established himself as one of the first Britons to make a success in Japan. Today, we have a close and warm relationship, building on our many shared interests and values. We are both democracies, constitutional monarchies and market economies.

Britain and Japan work closely together to deal with global issues. In January 2007, former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Shinzo Abe agreed a UK-Japan Joint Statement, in which both countries pledged to continue to work closely together in four main areas: international security; climate change; international development; and science, technology and innovation. The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has reaffirmed his commitment to these aims.

In 2008 we celebrated 150 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Japan. To mark this occasion, the British Embassy and the British Council organised UK-Japan 2008, which was a year-long series of events to showcase British contemporary creativity and promote UK-Japanese collaboration, and included over 300 events, performances and exhibitions and was attended by millions of visitors.  “UK-Japan 2008” was a resounding success in creating lasting collaborations and in cementing existing partnerships between the UK and Japan.  

We have a very strong trade relationship. The combined total of our bilateral trade in goods and services amounted to 4.0 trillion yen in 2006. There is much two-way investment, in a broad range of fields. Contact between our citizens remains central to the relationship - there are now over 18,000 British people resident in Japan and around 60,000 Japanese people resident in the UK, the largest Japanese community in Europe.

We look forward to maintaining and developing our ties with Japan. Thank you for visiting our website. I hope you find it both useful and informative.


David Warren
HM Ambassador to Japan