Mr Tadakazu Kimura honoured by The Queen
In recognition of his distinguished services to international sponsorship and cultural understanding between the UK and Japan, Tim Hitchens, the British Ambassador to Japan, has presented Mr Tadakazu Kimura, the President of the Asahi Shimbun, with an Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at an investiture ceremony held at the British Embassy Tokyo on 20 October 2014.
The Asahi Shimbun’s relationship with the British Museum is one of the many significant exchanges with the UK’s great cultural institutions. Last year Mr Kimura made an announcement to extend the partnership for 9 years, further enriching the work of the British Museum. While supporting the “Object in Focus” displays in London, the Asahi Shimbun has hosted the British Museum’s touring exhibitions and “Journey Through the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead” in Japan in 2012. The long list of impressive and diverse UK exhibitions organised by the Asahi Shimbun includes “Turner from the Tate: the Making of a Master”, “The Beautiful – Art for Art’s Sake: The Aesthetic Movement 1860 – 1900” and an exhibition of pre-Raphaelite paintings. A selection from the British Council collection of contemporary art made by Japanese curators is currently touring Japan under the title “Private Utopia”.