Sadao Oba with Ambassador Orita

On May 13, Ambassador Orita presented Sadao Oba, Japanese researcher on Japan-UK historical relations, with a certificate of commendation in recognition of his distinguished service and contribution to the deepening of mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and the UK.

Oba, a long-term resident of the UK, has dedicated himself to the painstaking research of the history of Japan-UK relations, especially that of Japanese community in the UK during the pre-war era. His revelations have been documented in a series of literary publications and his work has played an invaluable part in telling the story of the Japanese in the UK.

In the 1980s, the graves of four young Japanese of the late Edo to early Meiji period were rediscovered in Brookwood Cemetery, in Woking, Surrey. Oba made specific efforts to unearth the stories and documents relating to them, which have been lost or forgotten through the passing of time. At present, these graves are maintained and are marked by a memorial stone set up by the Anglo-Japanese Friendship Society (Kagoshima) in 1998.

(The Ambassador's Commendations were introduced in 2000 in order to recognise the contributions of those who had made outstanding efforts to promote grassroots exchange between the UK and Japan.)