Ambassador Julia Longbottom presents Honorary MBEs to Mr Norihiko Fukuda, Dr Akira Haseyama, and Ms Fumiko Hayashi
At a ceremony at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo on 5 February 2024, Julia Longbottom, the British Ambassador to Japan, presented the award of Honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to Mr Norihiko Fukuda, Mayor of Kawasaki City, Dr Akira Haseyama, former President of Keio University, and Ms Fumiko Hayashi, former Mayor of Yokohama City.
The Honorary MBEs were awarded by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, in recognition of their exceptional contribution to furthering UK-Japan relations.
The awards presented to Mr Fukuda, Dr Haseyama and Ms Hayashi recognised in particular their leadership in establishing the GO GB partnership under which their cities and campuses acted as host venues for preparation camps for British Olympic and Paralympic teams competing in the Tokyo 2020 Games. Through the GO GB initiative, not only did they ensure access for British athletes and parathletes to top class facilities for their preparation camps, they also created a lasting legacy of diversity and inclusion, including increased barrier-free access, and promoted deeper ties with the UK through cultural events and increased people-to-people activities.
The presentation ceremony at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo was attended by representatives of the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association, visiting Japan to express their gratitude to the recipients for their indispensable support to the success of the British teams competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.