Ambassador Julia Longbottom presents Honorary MBE to Mr Tsukamoto Takashi
At a ceremony at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo on 23 January 2024, Julia Longbottom, the British Ambassador to Japan, presented Mr Tsukamoto Takashi, Chairman of the Japan-British Society, 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 Tsukamoto’s exceptional contribution to furthering UK-Japan relations.
Mr Tsukamoto has had a long and distinguished career at Mizuho Financial Group, including serving as the Group’s President and CEO from 2009 until 2013. In this role, he supported Japanese investment into the UK and strengthened business ties between our two nations.
As Chairman of the Japan-British Society since 2016, Mr Tsukamoto has dedicated himself tirelessly to the improvement of bilateral cultural relations. The Sakura initiative that he co-founded with Mr Sano, Chairman of Japan Matsuri, has resulted in the planting of thousands of Japanese cherry trees across the UK: a long term and very visible symbol of the strength of the friendship between our countries.
The British Ambassador Julia Longbottom is delighted to congratulate Mr Tsukamoto on the award of his well-deserved Honorary MBE.