Ambassador Julia Longbottom presents Honorary MBE to Mr Shiozaki Yasuhisa
At a ceremony at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo on 14 November 2023, Julia Longbottom, the British Ambassador to Japan, presented Mr Shiozaki Yasuhisa, former Co-Chair of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group, with the award of Honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
The Honorary MBE was awarded by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, in recognition of Mr Shiozaki’s exceptional contribution to furthering UK-Japan relations.
Mr Shiozaki has had a long career in Japanese politics, including serving as Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Government of Japan. As a committed participant from 1997 and then Co-Chair (2002-2011 and 2012-2021) of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group, he has worked tirelessly to promote UK-Japan relations for almost a quarter of a century. Established in 1984 at the joint recommendation of the British and Japanese Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher and Yasuhiro Nakasone, the 21st Century Group brings together private sector, public sector and civil society leaders to promote dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
Mr Shiozaki has also made an outstanding contribution through his leadership internationally on questions of global health, including working with counterparts on critical issues from antimicrobial resistance to global health partnerships (promoting vaccine development and access to immunisation, for example).
The British Ambassador Julia Longbottom is delighted to congratulate Mr Shiozaki on the award of his well-deserved Honorary MBE.