Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, leads a trade mission to Japan to boost trade and investment. Mr. Johnson aims to strengthen ties with Japan’s major cities, while at the same time promoting London as a major investment destination.
During his three-day visit, Mr. Johnson will meet with senior Japanese lawmakers, business leaders, investors and some of the country’s most innovative and green-thinking manufacturers.
According to the Greater London Authority:
“He will promote life sciences, tech and innovation, and champion London’s big brand retail exports. As Japan gears up to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, he will share London’s expertise in hosting major world sporting events.”
The Mayor of London is elected every four years. Boris Johnson was first elected in 2008 and re-elected on 3rd May 2012. (Image: Greater London Authority)
Japanese investment in London
Japan is the third largest economy in the world, while Britain is the top European destination for Japanese investment. In 2014, it was the fourth biggest investor in London. The Greater London Authority believes the potential is there for Japan to become an even more important partner.
Over the past 12 years, Japan has invested nearly £500 billion in nearly 12,000 foreign projects, creating approximately 2.6 million jobs globally. In 2014, trade with London totaled nearly £950 million. Mr. Johnson is keen to build on this.
Mr. Johnson said:
“Japan is one of the world’s most important economic powerhouses with enormous potential for stronger partnerships with the capital. We have plenty of knowledge and expertise to share across many important sectors, including hosting major world sporting events.”
“This is our chance to loudly bang the drum for London, strengthen our ties with Japan, and secure the long standing relationships we need to create an abundance of opportunities for Londoners and the people of Japan to work more closely and collaboratively in the future.”
In Tokyo, the Mayor of London will meet Toshiaki Endo, Minister for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Yoichi Masuzoe, Governor of Tokyo. Their aim will be to find avenues for greater collaboration and investment opportunities with the UK capital, especially around hosting major global sporting events, and key issues facing growing world cities.
Mr. Johnson will be joined by David Goldstone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Delivery Corporation.
The Rugby World Cup 2015 has registered record attendances.
A venue for global sports events
In recent years, the UK’s capital has become a leading venue for major global sports events. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have already left a lasting legacy of sports participation and helped completely regenerate the Stratford area around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, creating new schools, homes, business and arts space, and state-of-the-art sporting facilities.
The 2015 Rugby World Cup has registered record match attendances. In 2017, London will host the World Athletics Championships in parallel with the International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships.
The Greater London Authority wrote:
“With a population of more than 13 million, Tokyo is the largest metropolitan economy in the world. Alongside London and New York, it is one of the world’s three economic command centres. The Mayor will also spend time in Osaka, Japan’s second metropolis, with a population of approaching 3 million. He will help champion some of London’s greatest export brands from food to fashion, including Burberry and British brands at Hankyu, Osaka’s own equivalent to Selfridges.”
The Mayor of London in Japan ‘banging the drum’ for London.
“In Yokohama, the Mayor will address Asia’s largest biotechnology event, BioJapan, which attracts thousands of representatives from some 700 of the world’s leading bio-science companies every year. Japan is the second largest investor in London’s life science sector over the last 10 years, and our two countries are facing similar healthcare and demographic challenges. London’s unique position as a world class financial centre and home to some of the world’s top universities and medical institutions is creating the perfect location to translate the most cutting-edge science into real life benefits for patients, where the number of new jobs in life sciences has tripled in the last year.”
Mr. Johnson will be accompanied by leading academics from MedCity, which he launched last year to promote and lead the expansion of the world-leading life sciences cluster in the South East of England and London. Along with a business delegation of London’s leading bio-science companies, they will promote the capital’s expertise in regenerative medicine and cell and gene therapy.
Video – Boris Johnson’s dance moves in Japan
In this Press Association video, you can see Mr. Johnson showing off his dance moves.
