Japan has already invested £117m in Greater Manchester, according to the mayor’s office
20:49, 06 Sep 2025Updated 21:44, 06 Sep 2025
Hiroshi Suzuki, Japanese ambassador to the UK, almost downs a pint of Boddingtons(Image: Hiroshi Suzuki)
The Japanese ambassador to the UK very nearly downed a whole pint of Boddingtons in celebration as Manchester and Osaka signed a new deal to promote trade and cultural exchange between the two cities.
“By eck – it’s gorgeous!” exclaimed Hiroshi Suzuki – echoing the Cream of Manchester’s famous advertising slogan of the 1990s – as he actually celebrated two things.
The first was signing a ‘sister city’ agreement between the two cities, and the second was the first commercially available pint of Boddingtons Cask ale to be made in the city in 13 years.
He seemed to particularly enjoy the latter.
The deal builds on £117m already invested by firms from Japan. And the ebullient ambassador seems to be a confirmed Mancophile.
A day earlier he enthusiastically gorged on an Eccles cake and gave it a thumbs up sign.
“Eccles cakes are the best,” he tweeted.
And it’s not just our refreshments he likes. Over the past 12 months alone Japanese companies have invested £117million in Greater Manchester and created more than 200 new jobs, according to the mayor’s office.
More than 25 Japanese companies have chosen Greater Manchester for their UK operations. Recent investments include Japanese automotive group Astemo’s decision to invest £100m and create 200 jobs in Horwich.
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Heat pump specialist Daikin, which has its UK base in Stretford, signed a five-year collaboration agreement with Greater Manchester at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, in June. The company is investing £900,000 in a training centre and has committed to promoting low-carbon heating across the city-region.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Mayor of Osaka Hideyuki Yokoyama signed the Agreement on Friday at a special ceremony at Manchester Metropolitan University attended by civic and business leaders, including Mr Suzuki. It follows a series of trade missions to Japan.
Greater Manchester’s links with Osaka go back to the 19th century when a group of Japanese students visited Manchester and Oldham to learn about the manufacturing technologies that were transforming Britain. They returned to Japan with machinery and technology that helped spark the country’s own Industrial Revolution. Osaka’s emergence as a centre for textile manufacturing led to it becoming known as the Manchester of the East.
Hiroshi Suzuki, Japanese ambassador to the UK, visits Manchester(Image: Hiroshi Suzuki)
The signing came the start of Japan Week, the annual cultural festival which this year is being held in Manchester from 4 to 9 September.
Mr Burnham said: “The signing of Greater Manchester’s Sister City Agreement with Osaka today is another significant moment in our proud history of cooperation. “Our relationship goes back to the industrial revolution, when a group of Japanese students came to Greater Manchester to learn about the machinery and technology being used in our factories. They returned to Japan with knowledge and ideas that helped Japan industrialise, with Osaka emerging as the ‘Manchester of the East’. “I’m excited to be writing the next chapter in that history. Our collaboration will support investment, job creation and innovation, putting both places at the forefront of the next industrial revolution.”
Hiroshi Suzuki, Japanese ambassador to the UK, enjoys an Eccles cake(Image: Hiroshi Suzuki)
Mayor of the City of Osaka Hideyuki Yokoyama said: “We are delighted that Osaka City has concluded a sister city agreement with Greater Manchester for the first time in 36 years. Osaka was once known as the ‘Manchester of the East’ for its flourishing textile industry, much like Manchester itself. Now, more than a century later, we are deeply honoured to renew this connection with a Sister City Agreement. “This Sister City Agreement would not have been possible without the support of so many people. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your invaluable contributions. “Greater Manchester is distinguished by its strengths in the creative industries, support for start-ups, and advanced manufacturing in collaboration with leading research institutions. The city is also internationally renowned for its music and sport.” Mr Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to the UK, said: “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude, and deep respect, to both Mayor Yokoyama and Mayor Burnham for their unwavering commitment and remarkable leadership that have made Sister City Agreement possible.”
AloJapan.com