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British Hills Mini Seminar and the reception was held on Sep 26.

On September 26, BMC held the British Hills Mini Seminar at British Hills, our member’s facility. This year, we welcomed a total of 32 participants, including distinguished guests from the British Embassy Tokyo and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), making the event a great success.

The theme of this year’s seminar was “Deepening Japan-UK Cooperation.”
Mr. Greg Gardner, Deputy Trade Commissioner at the British Embassy Tokyo, and Mr. Masahiro Naka, Principal Deputy Director at METI’s Europe Division, kindly delivered keynote presentations.

Mr. Gardner gave a speech entitled “Developing Japan's Place as a Global Business Centre.” He introduced the UK government’s initiatives to promote inward investment into the UK under the newly announced “Industrial Strategy”, and, taking the UK experience as a reference, offered insights into how Japan could attract more foreign direct investment.

Mr. Naka presented on the theme of “Japan-UK Cooperation.” He highlighted how bilateral cooperation in trade has become increasingly close in recent years, citing examples such as the Japan-UK EPA and the UK’s accession to the CPTPP. He also explained how the Japan-UK Industrial Strategy Partnership, signed in March this year, together with the Japan-UK “Economic 2+2” meeting held in the same month, has further extended bilateral economic cooperation into areas such as economic security.

The seminar concluded with a lively Q&A session, after which many participants commented that they had found the discussions highly meaningful and informative.

The post-seminar reception was held in the Refectory, the main dining hall of British Hills. Guests enjoyed the classical atmosphere of the building while dining on a full-course meal featuring traditional British roast beef.

At the opening, Mr. Juro Baba, Senior Vice Presiden of Mitsubishi Corporation and General Manager of the Global Planning & Coordination Department, representing the host company, delivered welcoming remarks. He noted the 30th anniversary of British Hills last year and praised the excellence of the facility that recreates the spirit of the UK.

Dr. Motoyasu Sano, Chairman of Sano Educational Foundation, which operates British Hills, explained that the facility was originally established as an educational and training centre to foster truly international talent. He also noted that this seminar was first launched at the initiative of former BMC Chairman Mr. Morohashi, during the period when Mitsubishi Corporation served as the host company.

Mr. Hajime Nozawa, President of British Hills, welcomed the participants by highlighting that the facility hosts 6,000 overnight guests and 20,000 day visitors annually, and is well known as a place where visitors can experience an atmosphere reminiscent of the Harry Potter world (though the facility was completed before the Harry Potter series was released). He concluded his remarks with a toast.

At the end of the reception, Ms. Marie-Claire Joyce, Trade Counsellor of the British Embassy Tokyo, who is scheduled to return to the UK this autumn, delivered her farewell remarks. Reflecting on her five-year assignment in Japan, she said it had been filled with invaluable experiences, so rich that it was difficult to choose just one as the most memorable.

The evening concluded with a commemorative group photo of all participants, marking the successful close of the reception.