Shared Priorities 共通の優先事項

Manchester is widely regarded as a compelling hub for Japanese visitors, with world-class culture, sport, retail and heritage institutions. Manchester is the only UK city to feature in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 list and the only UK city in National Geographic’s influential ‘Best of the World’ list which annually sets out 25 of the must-see places to visit around the globe. 

Manchester city centre is full of unique and eclectic restaurants, bars, shops, museums, galleries, hotels and places to stay, with significant openings over the last year that are reaffirming the city’s status as a must-visit attraction.  

Greater Manchester’s boroughs also offer a variety of visitor experiences including quaint market towns, traditional pubs, beautiful green spaces and waterways to be explored on foot or bike. The city region is easily navigated, with great transport links both in and around Greater Manchester, linking to the wider north, the lake district and the UK’s major cities. 

Manchester is encouraged by Japan’s current roadmap to tackle the challenge of climate change and seeks a bilateral exchange on environmental policy areas and net zero objectives. Promoting the development of innovative technologies by 2050, will enable Japan to contribute to the reduction of atmospheric CO2 globally. With commitments to reduce greenhouse gasses by 26% from 2013 levels by 2030; and to achieve full zero neutrality by 2050.  

This inspiring strategy presents Greater Manchester with the opportunity to learn and replicate efforts within its own city and relevant institutions, supporting the region’s own 2038 carbon neutrality target. 

The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University have strong ties with the universities within Japan, including The University of Osaka and Osaka Metropolitan University. This mission will support these institutions to plan and agree the next chapter of their relationship that will drive the net zero agenda in both Japan and the UK. 

Greater Manchester is one of the only regions in the UK to not only develop Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPS), but also to have formally adopted a hydrogen and fuel cell strategy, which strongly aligns with the Japanese government’s Hydrogen Basic Strategy. A Manchester-Japan Hydrogen partnership could support significant trade and investment opportunities for both countries.  

A significant success of the Osaka-Manchester relationship so far, has been the GMCA-Daikin MOU signed earlier this year. This partnership will see a £12 million investment coming into the city region, including the installation of heat pump heating systems into at least 1000 homes. 

Manchester is a city renowned for its cultural and sporting opportunities, home to two of the world’s biggest football clubs, the UK’s national cycling centre and a multitude of cultural venues and artists. Now, cultural and sporting institutions within the city-region are looking to promote bilateral tourism opportunities.  

Football clubs are key partners in the regeneration of our cities and towns and for showcasing the city on a global stage. Manchester City FC has strong ties to Japan, with the Club being part of the City Football Group (CFG) which also includes J-League’s Yokohama F. Marinos. CFG manages the seven-time Japanese League Champions alongside Nissan. 

Music and culture are a large part of Manchester’s identity and have been for decades. Manchester has many strong cultural connections with Japan and Japanese culture is increasingly prevalent across the city. The recent opening of Aviva Studios, a global destination for arts, music and culture recently featured several high-profile Japanese artists in 2023. Britain’s oldest professional symphony orchestra, The Halle, also finds its home in Manchester and has strong connections to Japan. The recent appointment of Kahchun Wong as the Halle’s principal conductor and artistic director is just another example of how Japanese and Mancunian culture is intertwined.  

Greater Manchester is regarded as the UK’s Global Gateway to the North – home to Manchester Airport. Flying to almost 200 destinations with over 50 airlines, Manchester Airport is one of the UK’s busiest. Tokyo is one of Manchester Airport’s top long-haul destinations, despite not yet having a direct route.

In 2019, over 100,000 passengers flew from our catchment area to Tokyo. Since 2018-2019, there has been a 48% increase in searches of Manchester to Tokyo – according to Skyscanner data.