Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki met the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and Leader of the Council as part of a two-day regional visit focused on strengthening trade, innovation and cultural cooperation between Japan and the West Midlands
Birmingham welcomed Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki, Japan’s Ambassador to the UK, on 18th February, during a programme designed to deepen the city’s international partnerships. The meeting with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and Leader of the Council formed a key element of the Ambassador’s broader visit to the West Midlands, coordinated with support from the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC).
A strategic visit focused on partnership
The meeting provided an opportunity to outline Birmingham’s priorities in areas such as economic development, innovation, and civic collaboration. It also allowed the Ambassador to share perspectives on Japan’s evolving political landscape and areas of interest for bilateral cooperation, including digital technologies and decarbonisation.
Japan remains a strategic partner for the West Midlands, with growing trade flows and high-value investment. The region accounted for over £602 million in goods exports to Japan in 2024, making it the third largest UK region for exports to the market. Birmingham has also seen increasing Japanese investment, including the expansion of Hitachi Energy and the opening of SOMPO’s first UK office outside London.
Engagements across the West Midlands
The Ambassador’s two-day itinerary was hosted by West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker and showcased civic, cultural and business strengths across the region:
These engagements highlighted the depth of existing connections and the opportunities for strengthening people-to-people links, industry partnerships and cultural exchange.
Growing links with Japanese cities
The Ambassador’s visit follows a recent delegation from Tsukuba City, led by Mayor Tatsuo Igarashi, who visited Birmingham in early February for a programme focused on nature-positive urban planning, biodiversity and community-led green innovation.
During that visit, the Lord Mayor welcomed the delegation as they explored Birmingham’s City of Nature Plan, while Tsukuba presented its new Biodiversity Strategy and shaped approaches to urban nature stewardship, green corridors and citizen-led environmental initiatives.
The two visits—taking place just days apart—underline a period of intensifying collaboration between Birmingham and Japanese cities, spanning climate action, innovation, culture and civic exchange. Together, they demonstrate a growing commitment to long-term, city-to-city partnership working between the West Midlands and Japan.
Innovation and cultural connections
The visit followed the announcement of a new UK-Japan science and technology collaboration package earlier in February 2026, supporting joint projects in areas including life sciences, quantum technologies and digital connectivity. These fields closely align with Birmingham’s R&I strengths.
Cultural links also featured strongly in discussions. Under the direction of Kazuki Yamada, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra recently toured Japan as part of the World Expo. The region is also home to several Japanese football players across both men’s and women’s teams, maintaining strong sporting connections.
Looking ahead
The meeting between the Ambassador and the Lord Mayor reinforced the city’s commitment to international cooperation and its growing engagement with global partners. Both parties expressed interest in continuing to develop collaboration across trade, investment, research, education and culture.
Birmingham looks forward to building on the momentum generated by the visit and strengthening its longstanding partnership with Japan.
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