2016 Foreign Minister's Commendation - Mr Reg Clark
2016/11/29
On 29 November 2016, Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation to Mr Reg Clark, CEO of Rhino Rugby, for his contribution to promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the UK through rugby.
Mr Clark has been deeply involved in Japan-related activities since his first visit to Japan in 1977. He is also known for his enduring friendship with the late Ambassador Katsuhiko Oku, who served as the Director of the Japan Information and Cultural Centre at the Embassy of Japan in the UK from 2001. Mr Clark, together with Ambassador Oku, devoted himself to nurturing people-to-people interaction between Japanese and British citizens. His achievements in this regard includes his role as Treasurer of the year-long cultural-exchange project Japan 2001.
Since 2005 Mr Clark has been hosting the Oku Memorial Trophy, a friendly rugby match for rugby players of all ages from both Japan and the UK. Today, the Oku Memorial Trophy has become one of the staple events for grass-roots sporting exchange between Japan and the UK.
At the reception, Mr Clark expressed in his fluent Japanese his gratitude to all the people who had made the award possible and declared that he would dedicate it to the late Ambassador Oku. In conclusion, Ambassador Tsuruoka, voicing his wish to maintain the Embassy’s close cooperation with Mr Clark in further promoting Japan-UK relations, congratulated him heartily on being awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation.
Mr Clark has been deeply involved in Japan-related activities since his first visit to Japan in 1977. He is also known for his enduring friendship with the late Ambassador Katsuhiko Oku, who served as the Director of the Japan Information and Cultural Centre at the Embassy of Japan in the UK from 2001. Mr Clark, together with Ambassador Oku, devoted himself to nurturing people-to-people interaction between Japanese and British citizens. His achievements in this regard includes his role as Treasurer of the year-long cultural-exchange project Japan 2001. Since 2005 Mr Clark has been hosting the Oku Memorial Trophy, a friendly rugby match for rugby players of all ages from both Japan and the UK. Today, the Oku Memorial Trophy has become one of the staple events for grass-roots sporting exchange between Japan and the UK.
At the reception, Mr Clark expressed in his fluent Japanese his gratitude to all the people who had made the award possible and declared that he would dedicate it to the late Ambassador Oku. In conclusion, Ambassador Tsuruoka, voicing his wish to maintain the Embassy’s close cooperation with Mr Clark in further promoting Japan-UK relations, congratulated him heartily on being awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation.
The Embassy of Japan