On 27 November 2015, Ambassador Keiichi Hayashi bestowed upon Captain Robert Guy LVO, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, which had been awarded by the Government of Japan in recognition of his longstanding contribution to the strengthening of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the UK.

In his remarks, Ambassador Hayashi outlined Captain Guy’s varied achievements as Executive Director of the Japan Society for a decade, and as Consultant thereafter.  On his retirement in 1997 from the Royal Navy, after 31 years of distinguished service, Captain Guy joined the Japan Society.

 The following year he worked with other Japan-related organisations to help ensure the success of the State Visit to the UK of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan.  He subsequently devoted himself to overhauling the structure and operations of the Society so as to enable it more effectively to promote the Japan-UK relationship from the grassroots level via cultural and educational exchange.  He also placed importance on supporting the activities of regional Japan Societies in the UK and other relevant organisations as well as cooperating with the Japan-British Society in Tokyo.  The buoyant state of the Japan Society today, including the much improved state of its finances, owes a great deal to Captain Guy’s imagination and drive.

In concluding his remarks, Ambassador Hayashi declared: “Captain Guy is a most worthy recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.  I am sure not only all of you here today but also many people elsewhere in the UK and in Japan will join me in congratulating him on the recognition duly accorded to him.”

On 7 December, Ambassador Keiichi Hayashi bestowed the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette awarded by the Government of Japan upon Mr Graham Peter Hardman, former Chairman and current Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Garden Society, in recognition of his significant contribution to introducing and promoting Japanese gardens in the United Kingdom.

In his speech, Ambassador Hayashi described Mr Hardman’s wide-ranging endeavours as Chairman of the Japanese Garden Society from 2003 to 2010 and as its Honorary Vice President since 2010.  In essence, Mr Hardman has widely promoted Japanese gardens in the UK through his management and support of the activities of the Society and through his lectures, talks and writings.  Constantly seeking to enrich the members’ experience of Japanese gardens, he has expanded the scope of the annual tour of the Society to Japan.  Moreover, he has contributed to preserving and restoring existing Japanese gardens in the UK such as those in Calderstones Park and the Festival Gardens in Liverpool and Hammersmith Park in London. 

He has deservedly received many awards for garden design, including one in the BBC Student Design Competition in 1999 and a Gold medal at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show in 2013.

Ambassador Hayashi concluded his remarks by praising Mr Hardman’s tireless contribution to the complex task of building, maintaining and enhancing the understanding of Japanese gardens in the UK. “His outstanding work in this significant field,” he declared, “has had a substantial, positive impact on the promotion of mutual understanding between our two peoples.”

On 14 December 2015, Ambassador Keiichi Hayashi bestowed the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star awarded by the Government of Japan upon The Lord Rees, in recognition of his significant contribution to strengthening and developing academic relations between Japan and the United Kingdom, especially in the field of astronomy.

In his remarks, Ambassador Hayashi outlined Lord Rees’s numerous and varied outstanding contributions through his long and distinguished career.

Firstly, during his ten years as Director at Cambridge University’s Institute of Astronomy, Lord Rees played an instrumental role in welcoming and teaching many Japanese researchers. Lord Rees also spent time at Kyoto University in his role as a visiting researcher of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and his collaboration with Japanese research continues to this day. Much of Lord Rees’s outstanding work has also been shared with Japan’s general public through a number of books and lectures. Written with simplicity and eloquence, these books enabled many young people in Japan to appreciate the wonders of space.

During his time as the President of the Royal Society from 2005 to 2010, he helped to further develop collaboration with the Science Council of Japan. They worked together to discuss the role that academia can play in global issues. He has also played a key role in the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum, held annually in Japan. Lord Rees has also made a crucial contribution to Japan by his role in the establishment of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, where he provided his invaluable experience and international perspective as a member of the Governing Board for a number of years.

Ambassador Hayashi concluded his remarks by thanking Lord Rees for his sterling contribution to UK-Japan relations throughout his career - "Lord Rees has thus been a key player in the academic exchange of our two countries.  Isaac Newton once observed, “Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.” But like a handful of great men, Lord Rees has built a solid bridge between the UK and Japan and their peoples in the academic arena.  In light of such an outstanding contribution, it now gives me great honour and pleasure to present Lord Rees with this very well-deserved award. I am sure not only all of you here but also many in Japan and the UK will join me in celebrating this award. Thank you very much and many congratulations."

The Ambassador’s remarks were followed by an impressive memorial lecture from Lord Rees. Please see a transcript of this speech here.

A number of leading figures from the fields of science and technology attended the ceremony and reception in recognition of Lord Rees’s achievement.

The Embassy of Japan