Region embraces strengthening of trading and cultural links with Japan
Greater Manchester is preparing to strengthen its business links with Japan.
It comes as a delegation from 20 Japanese companies visited North West low carbon energy project, HyNet, to explore collaborative opportunities in the UK.
Business and civic leaders from across Greater Manchester are preparing to undertake a series of high level activities and events this year to affirm the city region’s relationship with Japan and boost important trade, investment, educational, cultural, sport, and community connections.
Following an announcement last year to make Japan a key focus for broadening and deepening diplomatic, business, cultural, and civic links in 2025, plans are now gathering pace ahead of EXPO 2025 in Osaka this summer and Japan Week 2025 in Manchester in autumn.
A delegation from Greater Manchester will visit Japan for a week-long mission from June 16-20, engaging with political leaders, trade officials, and Japanese businesses, and putting Greater Manchester centre stage at one of the biggest international events of the decade.
Activities will comprise civic and business meetings in Tokyo and Osaka, including a special reception hosted by Mayor of Osaka, Hideyuki Yokoyama.
A programme of events at EXPO 2025 will follow, with a dedicated Manchester Day on the UK Pavilion, activity on the Osaka Pavilion, and the debut of a commemorative artistic commission, BLOOM.
The 2025 mission to Japan will build on work undertaken in December 2023, which saw Greater Manchester sign a partnership with the city of Osaka to strengthen innovation and economic links and cooperation between the two regions.
This was followed by a reciprocal visit to Greater Manchester by an Osaka delegation, including Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama, in July 2024.
Confirmed Greater Manchester partners for the 2025 mission include Daikin, Deloitte, Department for Business and Trade, Electricity North West, Marketing Manchester, MIDAS – Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency, Panasonic, and the University of Manchester, while a trade delegation of around 15 local businesses, the Hallé, and BLOOM artists will also attend.
Greater Manchester’s relationship with Japan will be further developed later in the year when an international cultural festival, featuring hundreds of Japanese performers, arrives in Manchester.
Organised by the International Friendship Foundation, Japan Week 2025 will take place betweenSeptember 4-9. The Manchester edition will be the 50th anniversary of the event, which has been held in major world cities including Boston, Seville, and Athens.
Jo Ahmed, Honorary Consul of Japan in Greater Manchester and chair of the GM-Japan Steering Group, said: “I’m very proud of the warm and industrious relationship that has blossomed between Greater Manchester and Japan in recent years, and the opportunities this has created for business, education, and people to people links.”
Hiroshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to the UK, said: “I welcome Greater Manchester’s drive to advance its special relationship with Japan in 2025. Osaka and Manchester have a long history of partnership and exchange, and Greater Manchester’s mission to Japan and EXPO 2025 will deepen the existing bonds between the two cities.”
Japan is one of Greater Manchester’s most important economic partners. The region exported £99m worth of goods to Japan in 2022, and in 2021 service exports from the city region to Japan were valued at £151m, putting Japan in the city region’s top 10 service export markets.
Japan is also a major market for foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK. There are already around 25 Japanese businesses with a presence in Manchester, including Nippon Electric Glass, Hitachi Astemo, Kansai Electric Power Company, Fujitsu, Mizkan, Dentsu, Kratos Analytical, Daikin, Shimadzu, and Brother.
The Japanese delegation to Hynet included companies from diverse sectors, such as manufacturing, maritime, utilities and financial services. The visit was facilitated by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
JETRO delegation visits Hynet
HyNet showcased cutting-edge developments in low carbon hydrogen production and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, underscoring the North West and North Wales as a hub for low carbon energy innovation and a prime destination for overseas partnerships and investment.
By providing the infrastructure needed to transition to a low carbon economy, HyNet is playing a pivotal role in securing a long term, vibrant manufacturing sector in the region.
David Parkin, HyNet Alliance director, welcomed the JETRO initiative, saying: “Their visit was a fantastic opportunity to showcase HyNet’s leadership in hydrogen and carbon capture technologies, as well as to demonstrate the immense investment potential in the region.
“HyNet is a game changer for industry and serves as a global blueprint for the energy transition – illustrated by the multiple international delegations we have hosted to the region.
“We are excited to continue discussions and forge strong partnerships that will drive innovation and accelerate the global transition to low carbon energy across the globe.”
Hideo Yura, director general at JETRO, said: “Our visit to the North West and North Wales was extremely insightful, giving us a deeper understanding of the UK’s cutting-edge advancements in hydrogen and carbon capture.
“We were highly impressed with the region’s commitment to the energy transition, and we see significant opportunities for Japanese companies to collaborate and invest in this rapidly expanding market.”
