The other part of the relationship is in traded goods.
“Starting with whisky, we’ve got trusted and high quality brands,” says the ambassador.
“That’s something the Japanese market really appreciates. Scotch whisky makes up a third of UK exports to Japan each year.”
She talks of the potential to sell more textiles to Japan, where the standard school uniform for girls is tartan.
Seafood is a staple of the Japanese diet, and the country is now second biggest market for Scottish mackerel, the species which is by far the biggest tonnage and value of the country’s fishing industry.
Brexit was clearly a big challenge to explain to Japanese companies and its government.
Japan had invested in the UK as a doorway to the EU market, and all that was threatened.
With new EU trading rules, both the ambassador and Mr Nakano, chair of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in London, think the relationship has calmed.
He talks of Japanese banks wanting to relocate to EU cities after Brexit, but pulling back when they realised the talent pool and banking centre they would be leaving.
“The UK and Japan are partners that really respect each other in basic science, translational science, quantum computing and AI,” says Ms Longbottom.
“These are advanced and strategic technologies both countries care about for the future and where these partners trust each other.”
Trust. There, again, is a contrast with some other major trading partners the ambassador is not mentioning.
She returns to Tokyo next month, after a holiday in India.
Ms Longbottom will be there to watch the England women’s cricket team, now into the semi-final of the ICC women’s world cup.
Its captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, is her daughter.
AloJapan.com