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1 week ago
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Hiroshi Suzuki’s connection with the UK started in the 1990s when he started to visit friends of his wife in south-west England.
Back then, he may have had no idea that by 2025 he would be serving as the Japanese ambassador to the UK and his love for the country would have turned him into a social media sensation.
Writing on the Japanese embassy website, the 63-year-old from Kyoto explains why he loves the UK so much: “Japan and the UK are irreplaceable partners who share fundamental values and common strategic interests.”
Well the UK seems to love him back – but primarily due to his social media updates.
One of the activities Suzuki, who took up the ambassadorial post in November, says he is most looking forward to upon his return to the UK is “enjoying a pint of ale in a nearby cosy local pub”. And this is a recurring theme in many of his updates on X.
Be it sipping ale in the Turf Tavern in Oxford or downing much of a pint in one gulp while propped on a bar stool in a pub at new year, the traditional British thirst-quencher features regularly.
In the latter, he exclaims Happy New Year before pointing to a bottle clasped by a bemused bartender. “This is roku from Japan,” he says, before giving a thumbs up. It is simple and amusing, charming and eccentric. And features some unabashed product placement.
Suzuki’s love for the UK spans all corners; he posted messages of goodwill on Burns Night (“Congratulations on Burns Night! Auld Lang Syne is very popular and always sung on graduation ceremonies”) and his rendition of the Welsh national anthem, posted on X on St David’s Day, went viral.
Also on St David’s Day, Suzuki posted a video of himself silently eating a Welsh cake, washed down with a cup of tea in a mug adorned with a red dragon, as well as highlighting a merging of the Japanese and Welsh cultures through his daffodils made from paper using origami.
Sampling local delicacies is one of the most popular themes on Suzuki’s social media feed. Most recently, he was seen at Sarson’s vinegar factory in Manchester, a British name owned by the Japanese company Mizkan.
“So when you enjoy fish and chips Sarsons is a must have, I just can’t think of fish and chips without Sarsons,” he says, before pouring the vinegar over a plate of fish and quietly sampling the fare, and giving his trademark thumbs up.
In December, he feasted on New Forest ham and Sussex sparkling wine in a video explainer for geographical indication labels, that assure consumers of the authenticity of a product. “If you see kobe beef with this stamp, you can rest assured you’re going to get the real deal,” he says.
Further explaining his bond with the UK, Suzuki speaks of his passion for the Sakura Cherry Tree Project.
“In 2017, as a symbol of the never-changing friendship between Japan and the UK in the wake of Brexit, we started the project with Mr Keisaku Sandy Sano, then chairman of the Japan Association in the UK, and Mr Takashi Tsukamoto, then chairman of the Japan-British Society, to plant cherry trees across the UK,” he writes.
“When we started, we set the target of planting 1,000 trees, but now we have planted 8,000 trees and they are blooming in many places in the UK.
“Before I left Japan, the three of us got together again and set a new target of planting 10,000 trees. In Japan, ohanami is a traditional springtime event, where people enjoy parties under the cherry blossoms.
“I hope that British people throughout the country will similarly enjoy a day in spring by having a picnic under the cherry blossoms.”
