5 days ago
48 times the Japanese ambassador made us proud to be British
It's a tragedy of the British condition that we're unable to see ourselves through the eyes of others.
Almost without fail, we tend towards self-deprecation, humility and polite embarrassment. We would rather talk about all the things going wrong than everything which makes our country great.
Contrast that with the way the Japanese see us.
The Japanese hold the UK in high regard, ranking it fifth among 50 nations in the 2024 Anholt Nation Brands Index. They see our urban attractions as the third best in the world, and put our culture and sport in the top five. More than three quarters of Japanese visitors to Britain would be 'extremely likely' to recommend it to friends. Clearly we're doing something right.
And there's no more enthusiastic visitor to our country than Hiroshi Suzuki.
The 64-year-old Japanese ambassador was appointed to his post in September 2024 and since then has embarked on a charm offensive, travelling the length and breadth of the UK to cheerfully and enthusiastically promote British-Japanese collaboration. After being described as 'the Paddington Bear of ambassadors', he has gained a cuddly Paddington Bear toy who accompanies him on his adventures.
Along the way, Ambassador Suzuki has found dozens of interesting (and sometimes unlikely) things to celebrate about Britain, our culture, our food and our people.
Wimbledon
Suzuki was captivated by the wheelchair men's final, in which Japanese native Tokito Oda eventually triumphed over Britain's Alfie Hewett on Centre Court.
The Delorean
Though it was made famous by Back To the Future, the 'legendary DeLorean' was manufactured just outside of Belfast, with the British government offering start-up costs to help create factory jobs which it hoped would reduce sectarian violence in the late 1970s.
The Titanic
During his visit to Belfast, Suzuki visited the Titanic museum. There was only one Japanese person aboard the Titanic, Masabumi Hosono, who survived and returned to Japan, where he faced social disgrace for not going down with the ship.
Splitting the G
If it's good enough for hipsters, it's good enough for the Japanese ambassador. Splitting the G is a drinking game where you aim to drink exactly the right amount that the foam on your Guinness ends up halfway down the 'G' of the logo emblazoned on the glass.
Split the G Challenge!!!
— Hiroshi Suzuki (@AmbJapanUK) July 10, 2025
Tayto crisps
One of Northern Ireland's most famous exports, Tayto crisps are said to be even crunchier and better than the Walkers crisps that dominate the rest of Britain.
'So good,' says Suzuki.
Irish coffee
Irish whiskey, hot coffee, sugar and foam – who could argue with that? Not the ambassador.
Dunluce Castle
Famed for its appearance in Game Of Thrones as Pyke, the seat of House Greyjoy, Dunluce Castle was described by the ambassador as 'magnificent'.
Soda bread and Guinness cake
Yeast-less bread was peasant food in Ireland for centuries, in stark contrast to the indulgence of chocolate Guinness cake. Nigella Lawson says the stout offers a 'resonant, ferrous tang'.
Bushmills whiskey
Located beside Giant's Causeway, Old Bushmills Distillery was identified by whiskey expert Joe Rogers as one of the top places to drink in Britain in a recent Telegraph article.
Giant's Causeway
Created from vertical basalt columns which form hexagonal pillars, 'breathtakingly beautiful' Giant's Causeway might be Northern Ireland's most famous geological site, but it's not unique. Tojinbo in Fukui prefecture of Japan features similar basalt columns on its seaside cliffs.
Henley Royal Regatta
Despite this year's being one of the rainiest regattas in recent history, Suzuki enjoyed the glitz and glamour of the 186-year-old boat race.
Opera Holland Park
Is there anything more quintessentially English than a summer night at the opera? Opera Holland Park, famed for its open-air productions in leafy west London, will be taking its talents farther afield in 2027 – with a tour of Japan. The ambassador caught a performance of The Merry Widow ahead of the trip.
Paddington Bear
Michael Bond's ebullient bear, a symbol of how anyone can find a loving home among big-hearted Britons, didn't arrive in the UK with any paperwork. So his adoptive family, the Browns, invented two birthdays for him: June 25 and December 25. Ambassador Suzuki marked the June date with another British classic: Victoria sponge.
Trooping the Colour
This military parade celebrates the official birthday of the King. He appears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the viewing of onlookers. In Japan, a similar tradition takes place on the Emperor's birthday at Tokyo Imperial Palace where the Emperor and Empress appear on a balcony to greet well-wishers, who wave Japanese flags and shout 'Banzai!'
Epsom Derby
Just like in the UK, Japan has a deep affinity for horse racing, with 21,000 races taking place in the country every year. Time to get the top hat on, Suzuki!
Auchentoshan whisky
While Japanese whiskey has taken the world by storm in recent years, its roots lie in Scotland. In 1918, Masataka Taketsuru, the 'father of Japanese whiskey', travelled there to master the art of whiskey distilling – expertise he brought home to help establish Suntory Whisky.
Today, Suntory is one of the world's biggest whiskey brands and owns Auchentoshan distillery just outside Glasgow.
Robert Burns (and Auld Lang Syne specifically)
During his visit to Scotland, Ambassador Suzuki stopped by the lesser-known Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and also took part in Burns Night, celebrated each year on January 25. Burns's most famous poem, Auld Lang Syne – an ode to enduring friendship – is traditionally sung in the UK to ring in the New Year, but in Japan, it's a popular farewell song at graduation ceremonies.
Irn Bru
Filmed clutching a Paddington teddy bear and standing before a life-size cut-out of Robbie Williams, the Japanese ambassador swigging Irn Bru was an unusual sight, but 'it's great!'
IRN BRU😄 It's great!!👍
— Hiroshi Suzuki (@AmbJapanUK) May 30, 2025
Tunnock's Tea Cakes
A shortbread biscuit topped with Italian meringue and coated in chocolate, Tunnock's Tea Cakes are one of Scotland's best-loved exports – and for good reason. Even if, unlike Ambassador Suzuki, you don't have them for breakfast…
Haggis
'Oh it's fantastic,' beams Suzuki, washing down a mouthful of haggis with a dram of whiskey. It might not be everyone's first reaction to a dish traditionally made by stuffing a sheep's stomach – but those who know, know.
Mission: Impossible
All right, it's an American film franchise with an American star, but Mission: Impossible has made no secret of its love for the UK, filming everywhere from the Lake District to the Cotswolds. For the latest instalment's premiere, the Japanese ambassador took a boat tour of London to spot some of the filming locations along the Thames.
The Royal Shakespeare Company
While Shakespeare's plays remain popular in Japan, Ambassador Suzuki was equally impressed by the Royal Shakespeare Company's other work – particularly its acclaimed stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro.
Shakespeare
The ambassador celebrated Shakespeare by taking part in Stratford-upon-Avon's annual procession to celebrate the Bard's birthday on April 26.
Chelsea Flower Show
After years of winning medals, celebrated garden designer Kazuyuki Ishihara finally took home Best in Show at this year's Chelsea Flower Show – for his beautifully crafted Japanese Tea Garden.
Marmalade sandwiches
Given his affinity for Paddington Bear, it's no surprise the Japanese ambassador would try marmalade sandwiches.
Steam trains (and electric trains)
Given that Shinkansen bullet trains are one of the first images that spring to mind when thinking of Japan, it's no surprise Ambassador Suzuki is a train enthusiast. He visited Heighington in County Durham to see where Stephenson's Rocket, the first steam locomotive, made its debut. While in the North East, he also toured the Hitachi factory, where electric trains for Britain's rail network are built.
Durham Cathedral
It may not be quite as big as York Minster, nor as well-visited as St Paul's, but there's no denying that Durham's 932-year-old cathedral is a marvel.
The heritage sites of the North East
Though the North East is the UK's least-visited region, Ambassador Suzuki highlighted just how much it has to offer, exploring Hylton Castle, Washington Old Hall and the iconic Angel of the North.
Buckingham Palace Garden parties
Getting an invitation is just as desirable for an ambassador as it is for WI members and public servants around the country…
Ale and pub food
There's nothing finer than a pint and a Sunday roast. Ambassador Suzuki has been known to post pictures of himself that prove he agrees…
Crumpets (albeit served incorrectly)
In a rare diplomatic misstep, Suzuki faced an embarrassing climbdown after sharing his enjoyment of marmalade on crumpets. 'Crumpets deserve the finest English butter and nothing else,' one Twitter commenter insisted.
Bluebell woods
With the UK home to nearly half the world's bluebells, a woodland carpeted in these delicate flowers is a truly British sight. Bluebells are also a key indicator of ancient woodland – forests that have been continuously wooded for 400 years or more.
Afternoon tea
Though tea is a vital component of both British and Japanese culture, our approaches are very different. Where it is a highly symbolic, ritualised ceremony in Japan, the social focus and light refreshments of an English afternoon tea make our version a bit more jolly.
Newmarket
Once again, Ambassador Suzuki was able to indulge in the Japanese passion for horse racing at one of England's most renowned races.
Manchester City
It didn't take long for Mancunians to notice that the ambassador made a visit to the Etihad Stadium but didn't bother to visit Old Trafford, perhaps showing where his loyalties lie…
Sarson's Vinegar
Admitting he 'just can't think of fish and chips without Sarson's,' Suzuki visited the Manchester factory, noting that Sarson's is now owned by Japanese malt vinegar company Mizkan.
Manchester Tarts
A traditional baked tart featuring a shortcrust pastry shell layered with raspberry jam and custard, topped with coconut and a cherry, Manchester tarts were a popular school dinner pudding in the 1970s and Eighties. Stop giggling at the back.
Chatsworth House
One of Britain's finest stately homes, Chatsworth in the Derbyshire Dales has appeared in everything from Barry Lyndon and Pride & Prejudice to The Crown.
Burleigh Pottery and the Gladstone Museum
Once upon a time, the Midlands was a pottery powerhouse, exporting wares worldwide and turning the region into an industrial success story. The Gladstone Museum in North Staffordshire tells the full story. 'Impressive,' says the ambassador.
Pubs
Ambassador Suzuki's local is the Churchill Arms in Kensington, not far from the ongoing Japan House exhibition which celebrates Japanese culture.
University of Oxford
Japanese Emperor Naruhito studied at Merton College, Oxford, in 1983, when he was still crown prince. His preferred hangout in those days? The Turf Tavern.
Ashmolean Museum
Home to everything from ancient Greek statues to the costumes of kabuki legend Bandō Tamasaburō V, the Ashmolean was a must-visit stop on Suzuki's tour of regional museums.
Welsh cakes
By adding fat, sugar and dried fruit to traditional flatbreads, the Welsh created one of Ambassador Suzuki's favourite UK snacks – a soft, buttery morsel of warming goodness.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! 🏴
— Hiroshi Suzuki (@AmbJapanUK) March 1, 2025
Fordham Abbey
Located just outside Cambridge, Fordham Abbey reflects the 19th-century British fascination with Japanese culture. The site still boasts a Japanese garden – and just across the road, you'll find a saké brewery.
Rugby
Though he's visited several football stadiums on his UK travels, Ambassador Suzuki is a rugby man through and through – even donning a full kit earlier this year to mark Japan's clash with England at Twickenham.
GI (geographical indication) food
One of the purest delights of Suzuki's adventures around the UK is his appreciation of our heritage foods. Whether it's New Forest pannage ham or Sussex sparkling wine, the ambassador's sincere enthusiasm for British products makes us proud.
The Telegraph
What serious enthusiast of British culture could resist the greatest British newspaper? Suzuki revealed he's a keen Telegraph reader – and proved it when he spotted we'd dubbed him 'the Paddington Bear of ambassadors'.
Happy to be dubbed the Paddington Bear🧸of ambassadors by the Telegraph 😄
I took Paddington on a journey to 🇯🇵！
— Hiroshi Suzuki (@AmbJapanUK) March 22, 2025
