The Japan Society Annual Dinner 2025 (Members only)
Date
Friday 14 November 2025
Time
7.00 for 7.30pm
Venue
Members’ Dining Room
House of Commons
UK Parliament
London SW1A 0AA
Access information
Entrance: Via Cromwell Green Entrance - Click here for direction
Security information: Click here for information
Ballot Details
Our Annual Dinner is a special occasion to bring together our valued members for a memorable evening. As spaces are limited this year by the venue's capacity, we are holding a ballot to secure a seat and will restrict entry to members.
Ballot Deadline: Monday 6 October 2025
See the rules and enter the ballot below.
Annual Dinner price: £145 per person
Members under 30: £95 per person
Join us for The Japan Society Annual Dinner 2025 at Members' Dining Room in the House of Commons. It is our pleasure to reconnect with our esteemed members for an evening of great food and conversation.
Located in the House of Commons, the Members’ Dining Room is a historically significant venue, originally opened in 1871 to elevate dining within a prestigious setting. Inspired by the medieval ‘Painted Chamber,’ it reflects centuries of tradition and national heritage. Architectural enhancements in the 1930s preserved its grandeur while revealing layers of history, from royal coats of arms to symbolic carvings of the three kingdoms. The room embodies the intersection of British political history and fine dining, offering a rare glimpse into the exclusive world of parliamentary life.
The dinner is traditionally a black tie event and many guests will wear formal dress, but for those who prefer lounge suits, this is perfectly acceptable. Most people will be sitting at tables of 10. Please also inform us of any special dietary requirements.
We are honoured to welcome broadcaster and former Secretary of State The Rt Hon Michael Portillo as our special guest, who will reflect on his travel experiences in Japan during summer 2025.
The Rt Hon Michael Portillo is a broadcaster, and former Secretary of State. He was a cabinet minister holding positions including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Employment, and Secretary of State for Defence. After leaving politics, Michael became a highly successful television broadcaster, including, from 1999, celebrated series of railway documentaries for the BBC beginning with "Great British Railway Journeys” and continuing with railway journeys in many countries around the world.
We are very grateful to JTI for their support for our Annual Dinner. This enables us to offer subsidised tickets to members, ensuring that the event can be enjoyed by all.
If you have any questions, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email us at events@japansociety.org.uk.
Supported by
Ballot Details
- Providing Details in the Booking Form
Please enter the full name and email address associated with your membership in the ballot form so we can match your information in our system. - Ballot Entry Confirmation
You should receive an automated email from The Japan Society to let you know that your ballot entry has been registered. If you don't receive any confirmation emails, please check your spam folder or email events@japansociety.org.uk. - Ballot Rules
- Entry is only open to members of The Japan Society.
- Due to the extremely limited number of seats, places are limited to one place per member - exception are family members who can enter the ballot with one entry only but if selected will be allowed to book up to 2 places.
- Deadline to enter the ballot: 6 October 2025.
- Succesful applicants will be selected randomly and will be contacted by Friday 10 October 2025. They will receive a link to complete the booking by Tuesday 14 October 2025. Members under 30 may be asked to provide proof of age before the booking can be confirmed.
- Event Details
Selected members who finalise the booking will receive further details to attend the event closer to the date. - Cancellation Policy
A full refund will only be given where notice of cancellation is received no later than Friday 31 October 2025. After this date, we will attempt to resell your ticket(s). If we are unable to resell your ticket(s), unfortunately, we will not be able to offer a refund. - Waiting List
If selected members are unable to attend or do not complete the payment before the deadline (Tuesday 14 October 2025), another applicant will be selected randomly from the waiting list to buy the ticket.