Japan Day 2026: celebrating a relationship built on collaboration
Japan Day 2026 celebrated Greater Manchester’s diplomatic, business, academic and cultural ties with Japan. Building on the success of last year’s Japan Week, led by Manchester City Council, the event marked another important chapter in the growing relationship between Greater Manchester and Japan.
While the partnership today is centred around trade, investment and innovation, its roots stretch back more than 160 years. It is a relationship built on shared values, collaboration and a commitment to learning from one another.
This year, we were delighted to once again welcome Japanese Ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki back to the city, alongside a delegation of Japanese business leaders. Their visit signified the strength in the special friendship between the two countries and highlighted the many opportunities for future collaboration.
The celebrations began with a welcome reception at Deloitte on Thursday 10 September, hosted by Jo Ahmed, Honorary Consul of Japan and Chair of the Greater Manchester Japan Steering Group. Set against the backdrop of Manchester’s skyline, it was a wonderful evening to welcome both familiar faces and new guests to the city.
Friday 11 September started with a UK-Japan Business Roundtable, focusing on innovation and opportunities for Greater Manchester and Japanese companies. Led by Jo Ahmed and co-hosted by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, the session brought together businesses from both countries to explore new partnerships and collaborative opportunities.
The programme then continued at The Whitworth for a tour of Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige. Featuring Under the Wave off Kanagawa, one of the most recognisable artworks in the world, the exhibition marked the gallery’s first major showcase of Japanese woodblock prints in more than 100 years.
Following a working lunch, the delegation visited Manchester Metropolitan University’s Poetry Library. Since opening to the public in 2021, the library has established itself as the first public poetry library in the North West, with a mission to nurture and inspire people interested poetry.
During the visit, we explored items from the university’s Special Collections, including original hand-painted Japanese artworks, and heard from archive staff about their significance and history. We also learned more about the library’s international poetry collection, which helps make literature from around the world accessible to its diverse community of students and visitors.
The day concluded with an evening reception at Hallé St Peter’s, where guests enjoyed performances from Royal Northern College of Music students Mizuki Nitta and Holly Calder, alongside a recital from Hallé Orchestra Principal Harpist Marie Leenhardt.
One of the evening’s most significant moments came when Ambassador Suzuki was presented with a commemorative plaque that will be displayed in Manchester Town Hall following the completion of its refurbishment. The plaque honours Godai Tomoatsu, one of three young Japanese students that made the courageous journey to the North West of England in 1865 to learn from the industries and technologies that were shaping our region.
During his time in Greater Manchester, Godai visited the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which inspired him to create the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry that initiated an industrial boom in Osaka; supporting the construction of Osaka Harbour and attracting a huge amount of industry to the region. Godai’s learnings in Greater Manchester therefore helped Godai grow Osaka’s economy and transform it into a modern industrial city.
The story of Godai and his comtemporaries represents far more than a historical connection. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of curiosity, learning and international collaboration, values that continue to underpin the relationship between Greater Manchester and Japan today.
Japan Day 2026 was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on everything that has been achieved through this longstanding partnership, while also looking ahead to how Greater Manchester and Japan can continue to strengthen ties and create new opportunities together in the years to come.