UK Japan 21st Century Group 
The UK-Japan 21st Century Group was established in 1984 as the UK-Japan 2000 Group at the joint recommendation of the British and Japanese Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher and Yasuhiro Nakasone. It is the most senior bilateral body acting in the sphere of UK-Japan relations and maintains close ties with both governments and with related organisations.
The primary purpose of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group is to promote dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. Members include parliamentarians, business leaders and representatives from the media, think tanks and academia. At the Group’s annual conference, held alternate years in the UK and Japan, delegates discuss any issue that might affect our bilateral ties and make suggestions on how to enhance them. The Chairmen’s summary and recommendations from the conference are then sent to both Prime Ministers and to government departments for consideration and action.
The Co-Chairmen of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group are The Rt Hon Lord McConnell PC and Mr Seiji Kihara MP. Together, they lead discussions on political, economic and social developments in both countries, on opportunities for industrial cooperation, and on issues relating to trade and investment, global security, health, international development and education.
41st Annual Conference in London and Fordham, 13 -16 March 2025
Members of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group February 2024
The 41st Annual Meeting of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group was held in London and Fordham near Newmarket, on 13 -16 March 2025. The delegation from Japan began their stay in London where they met Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner at No 10 Downing Street, and attended a reception hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
More than 40 members from the United Kingdom and Japan participated in the dialogue. Over the course of six sessions, politicians, journalists, business people and academics discussed key topics including the latest domestic developments in each country, global geopolitical challenges, and the US response to the current international situation, climate change and energy security, AI and cyber security, and global health cooperation.
41st Annual Conference Summary
The UK-Japan 21st Century Group also holds other occasional meetings and discussions. The most recent of these was a webinar reflecting on the opportunities presented by the UK accession on 15 December 2024 to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). A recording of the webinar is available here.
