Addresses by His Majesty the Emperor (2024)

Your Royal Highness
Mr Emmott, Chair of the Japan Society and Representatives of the Co-organisers,
Members of the Japanese Community and dear Friends of Japan,

　It gives me great pleasure to have this opportunity today to meet all of you who have supported the cooperation between Japan and the United Kingdom in a wide range of areas, including business, culture, academia, and the arts. It is indeed significant that today's gathering is being held through the efforts of organisations that have over the years dedicated themselves to promoting the Japan-UK relationship.

　It is the connections between peoples that drive our societies forward and which create the foundations for exchanges between countries. I am especially happy to see that young people are actually taking part in this exchange here today. It is my wish that our bilateral ties will grow even stronger in the years to come, building on such firm foundations as people-to-people connections.

　In my sincere hope that today's reception will lead to the further development of friendship, goodwill, and cooperation between Japan and the United Kingdom, I offer all of you my best wishes for good health and happiness.

Your Majesties,

　Thank you, Your Majesty, for your warm words of welcome. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the invitation you have extended to the Empress and me for this State Visit, as well as for the tremendous consideration and efforts that you and the people of the United Kingdom have shown in making it a reality. In fact, the original invitation was issued five years ago by her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whom I greatly admired. Unfortunately, however, the visit had to be postponed due to the impact of COVID-19. It is truly our utmost pleasure that it is finally taking place now.

　Your Majesty has just referred to our two countries' longstanding ties. We also very much appreciate Your Majesties' kindness this afternoon in showing us items from the Royal Collection related to Japan. We now have an even stronger sense of the deep significance of the exchange between Japan and the United Kingdom forged over so many years. I am personally pleased and also grateful to have played a part in the exchange between the two countries, having studied in the United Kingdom, during which time I interacted with many people and in particular was privileged to enjoy the very warm company of members of the Royal Family. There was previously the sad period during which the friendly relationship between our two countries suffered, and hence I am struck by profound feelings as I extend my thoughts to what was in the minds of my grandfather the Emperor Showa and subsequently my father the Emperor Emeritus as they set foot in this country after times of great difficulty, as emperors of Japan at the invitation of Her late Majesty. The Empress and I would like to express our deep respect and gratitude to those people who have dedicated immeasurable efforts to the friendship between our two countries extending firmly into the future.

　At the State Banquet in 1971, my grandfather voiced his heartfelt wish for the people of both Japan and the United Kingdom in various walks of life to interact ever more closely and frequently and to talk to each other with open hearts. It was also my father's sincere hope that our two peoples would continue to strive for true mutual understanding and to join hands in the cause of world peace and prosperity, as was expressed on the occasion of the subsequent State Banquet in 1998.

　Today, our society is increasingly diverse and complex, facing various global challenges. It is necessary to address these critical issues by further amassing wisdom from around the world. Against this backdrop, I am extremely pleased that, in line with the fruitful dialogue between the peoples of our two countries conducted over the years with an open heart and with a quest for true mutual understanding, we have seen, and will continue to see, a myriad of areas whereby Japan and the UK lead the world in collaboration and cooperation.

　One such area is the contribution that Japanese and British scientists have made to the world through cutting-edge medical research. Knowledge of iPS cells came to the fore through the research of Dr Shinya Yamanaka for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This was based on the preceding research by Sir John Bertrand Gurdon, who was the joint winner of the Nobel Prize, and has led to significant innovations in regenerative medicine. At the Francis Crick Institute, which I will be visiting tomorrow, many people including young researchers from our two countries are working together and taking on momentous new challenges in the areas of cancer research and countering influenza.

　Meanwhile, I made a personal visit yesterday to the Thames Barrier, built in the aftermath of the 1953 North Sea Flood. The development of the capacity to predict storm surges in the UK owes a great deal to the role played by a Japanese scientist, Dr Shizuo Ishiguro, the father of Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, the British novelist of Japanese extraction and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Dr Ishiguro was invited to join a UK research institute, where he developed a practical model for the accurate and timely quantitative prediction of storm surges in the North Sea. According to Sir Kazuo, the analog computing system that Dr Ishiguro developed based on his research looked like a TARDIS, a time machine from the BBC drama Doctor Who. I believe that the unique interdisciplinary innovation by Dr Ishiguro, cutting across electronic engineering and oceanographic science, continues to be a major source of inspiration for both Japanese and British researchers today, transcending time and space.

　During this visit, I look forward to visiting for the first time in 23 years the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, of which your Majesty is a patron. There, I hope to see the efforts made by the Millenium Seed Bank in preserving seeds to avoid their extinction. May I pay my respect concerning the initiatives Your Majesty has taken, with both passion and a sense of urgency, in such critical areas as climate change and biodiversity. I am also encouraged that many people in both our countries are taking a keen interest in such environmental issues and are dedicating themselves to the resolution of these challenges. I have been told that seeds of Japanese red pine and other plants have been donated to the Millenium Seed Bank by Iwate Prefecture. They include those from the same type of tree as the "miracle pine tree", which was the only one to survive the tsunami damage in the Takatamatsubara pine grove from the Great East Japan Earthquake, during which tens of thousands of pine trees were uprooted. I believe that the seeds will be preserved long into the future as symbols of resilience, recovery from the earthquake, and friendship between Japan and the UK.

　I look forward to visiting again the Royal College of Music, where I can see its state-of-the-art Performance Laboratory, as well as to visiting with the Empress Young V&A, where we will have a chance to interact with children from both our countries and gain a direct sense of how our culture and art are inspiring children, transcending borders and time. We also plan to visit Oxford, sorry, maybe the wrong place for Your Majesty, where the Empress and I both experienced the life and culture of this country as students, and hope to make our humble contribution to promoting bilateral cooperation in the areas of academia, research and education, as well as exchanges between our younger generations. The relationship between Japan and the UK has been fostered through people-to-people exchanges over the years and generations. It would be a source of immense satisfaction if our visit to the United Kingdom could help to firmly pass on the friendship and goodwill between our two countries to the young people and children who in the future will take on the reins of our relationship and develop it even further.

　Today, as Your Majesty also mentioned, the multi-layered collaboration and exchange between our two countries is accelerating in various areas including politics and diplomacy, the economy, culture and the arts, science and technology as well as education. Our bilateral relations have never been more robust. We can say that we are fortunate to have been given the opportunity to climb even higher on this grand, broad-based mountain, guided by the path trodden by our forebears, with a feeling of gratitude, respect and pride in our hearts. It is my sincere hope that both Japan and the UK, as friends like no other, will continue to make untiring efforts for true mutual understanding through exchanges of their people, thereby building an enduring relationship based on friendship, goodwill and cooperation.

　I would now like to propose a toast to the good health of Your Majesties, to the further development of our bilateral relationship and its contribution to the world, and to the lasting happiness of the people of Japan and the United Kingdom.

My Lord Mayor,
Your Royal Highness,
Your Excellencies, My Lords, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Chief Commoner, Honoured Guests

　I would like to express my profound appreciation to you for hosting me tonight, and for the warm words of welcome from the Lord Mayor.

　I had the opportunity of visiting this Guildhall in 1983, when I was studying at the University of Oxford. Also on several occasions, I went into the Guildhall library to peruse the historical records concerning the history of water transport on the River Thames in the 18th century, which I found very useful for my research. I also have fond memories of visiting pubs around here during lunchtime. Looking back at my irreplaceably precious two years at the University of Oxford, I am reminded of how warmly I was welcomed by the people of this country.

　At the beginning of my stay in Oxford, I was not used to handling British currency and found myself using too many notes and collecting too many heavy coins. On one occasion they all fell out of my purse. I was rather upset, but the people nearby joined me in picking up the coins. I was struck by the kindliness of British people and went back to the college with a sense of relief. Today, electronic transactions have become so prevalent in this country that people not only do not use coins but do not even carry wallets with them, making do with credit cards or smartphones. This fact really makes me feel the passage of 40 years.

　On the other hand, what feels unchanged on this visit is the warmth of the people of this country as well as the vigour and energy of the City of London. When we look back at the history of the City and Japan, we might start at the dawn of the Meiji era, when Japan was steaming ahead towards modernisation and learning from the United Kingdom - the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Japan's first ever railway, connecting Tokyo and Yokohama, was financed by foreign bonds issued in the City. It was pivotal to Japan's subsequent economic development. Today, I am extremely pleased that the connectivity of the markets of the two countries and the collaboration between the local governments are being strengthened, as demonstrated by the "Memorandum of Understanding between the City of London Corporation and Tokyo Metropolitan Government", and that we are seeing further developments in the cooperative relationship with the City, as illustrated by the Lord Mayors' visit to Japan every year.
　Turning to the economic relationship of Japan and the United Kingdom, there are over 900 Japanese firms based in various parts of the UK, playing an important role in the British economy.They comprise a diverse array of businesses covering a range of sectors including automobiles, highspeed railways, precision machinery, ICT, offshore wind power generation, finance, real estate and pharmaceuticals. At the same time, bilateral cooperation on the economy and investment continues to deepen, with the accumulation of about 22 trillion yen or 115 billion pounds worth of direct investment between the two countries.

　Such close bonds have been extended to efforts to provide solutions to some of the pressing challenges facing mankind. Today I visited the Francis Crick Institute, a state-of-the-art research establishment in the areas of medicine and bioscience. I was encouraged to hear about the close collaboration between the researchers of both countries to promote the health of people around the world. The visit was also an opportunity for me to reflect on the efforts and achievements of our predecessors, including the discovery of the double spiral structure of DNA by Dr Crick, which gave rise to such cutting-edge endeavours.

　Tomorrow the Empress and I will be visiting the Young V&A, where we will see a special exhibition highlighting the relationship of Japan's nature and folklore with its popular culture, technology and design. We look forward to seeing and feeling firsthand how Japan's culture and art, transcending time and space, is giving inspiration to the children of the United Kingdom and the Japanese children living in the UK, as we interact with the children of both countries.

　The people, and the connections between peoples, are what drive our societies forward and create the foundations for exchanges between countries. The citizens of both Japan and the United Kingdom have cherished the connections between people and have made bold efforts to solve a range of daunting challenges, building on the achievements of their predecessors, adopting ideas broadly from nature, science, culture and the arts, and flexibly embracing new technologies.
　It will be a source of great pleasure to us if our visit to the United Kingdom can provide a chance for the people of both countries to reconfirm their bonds of friendship and goodwill, underpinned by the longstanding people-to-people connections, as well as an opportunity to pass on to the next generation the leadership role in resolving the challenges common to mankind.

　In closing, may I raise my glass to propose a toast to the good health of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, to the continued development and prosperity of the City of London, and to lasting friendship and goodwill between the peoples of the United Kingdom and Japan.

　The Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation!

Chancellor Lord Patten,
Vice-Chancellor Professor Tracy,
Distinguished Guests,

　First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the warm words of welcome from Lord Patten, the perfect host on such a wonderful occasion for Masako and myself.

　As I passed the Magdalene Bridge, and as the majestic streets and the iconic "Dreaming Spires" came into view, I was vividly reminded of the days that I spent at Oxford. The complex mix of hope and anxiety for my new life I felt during my matriculation; the challenging yet affectionate tutorial sessions of the late Dr Highfield and Professor Mathias; the flavour of the coffee I had with my friends in Merton's MCR after lunch and dinner: everything to do with Oxford triggers in me fond memories of the two years here that seemed to pass all too quickly.

　We are very grateful that after this luncheon, my wife, Masako, who also had the privilege of studying at Balliol College for two years – five years later than myself – will be honoured with the conferment of an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law. Masako and I are always reminiscing about the happy and irreplaceable days we experienced in Oxford. The only topic we make a point of avoiding is the question of whether Merton or Balliol is the oldest college in Oxford. We will continue to cherish the unparalleled opportunities and wonderful memories that the University of Oxford has offered us. At the same time, I hope that young people in Japan will also be offered the priceless experience of studying abroad and learning widely from the world, including at universities and institutions like Oxford. Indeed, it is my fervent hope that people-to-people ties which transcend national boundaries such as those constantly unfolding here will become the catalyst for the forging of positive relationships between countries and peoples the world over.

　I am also delighted to hear that the relationship between Japan and the University of Oxford has seen various developments since the time I left Oxford. For instance, the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, of which I attended the ground-breaking ceremony for a new building in 1991, is now celebrated as the leading institute in its field in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, I have heard that industry-academia partnerships have been making progress between the University and Japanese companies, including in such areas as research on diabetes and metabolic disorders as well as on financial engineering.

　The University of Oxford has been one of the world's pre-eminent academic institutions through the way in which it seamlessly merges the weight of tradition passed down over the centuries with innovations driven by intellectual curiosity and outstanding scholarly endeavours. It is my wish that all the Colleges comprising the University of Oxford as well as their students, academics and researchers from the United Kingdom and countries all over the world, including Japan, will continue to inspire and uplift each other, pointing the way towards a brighter future not just for our two countries but for the whole world.