Greater Manchester launched its most ambitious international mission to date, sending its largest ever delegation to Japan. Led by Mayor Andy Burnham, Councillor Bev Craig and Honorary Consul to Japan in Greater Manchester Jo Ahmed MBE, the delegation brought together leaders from the public sector, universities, investors and major organisations including MIDAS, Marketing Manchester, Manchester Airports Group, The Halle and Deloitte. The mission demonstrated the region’s commitment to forging global partnerships, attracting investment and sharing its strengths on the world stage.
Day One – Tokyo
The mission began in Tokyo with a diplomatic meeting at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, where Mayor Burnham and the delegation were welcomed by Vice-Governor Matsumoto. This set the tone for a week of high-level engagement and reinforced Greater Manchester’s civic ties with Japan. A key moment of the day was the Low Carbon Summit held at Deloitte’s Tokyo office. Here, Greater Manchester leaders outlined the region’s ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2038, showcasing innovative work in housing retrofit, green transport and skills development. Later, the delegation met automotive manufacturer Astemo at the British Embassy, underlining collaboration on clean technology.
To end the day, a special reception was held at the British Embassy in Tokyo to celebrate the Greater Manchester delegation. It brought together leaders from Tokyo’s business community, academia, and local government to help further strengthen relations between our regions and forge more opportunity for collaboration.
Read the full day 1 blog here.
Day Two – Tokyo to Osaka
The second day began with a Cyber Roundtable at the British Embassy in Tokyo. This session explored how Greater Manchester and Japan can work together to build a future-ready cyber workforce, aiming to develop 30,000 skilled professionals by 2035. The conversation highlighted the strength of the region’s digital and cyber sector and its potential for collaboration with Japanese partners. Following this, the delegation travelled by bullet train to Osaka and engaged in a series of meetings with key organisations. These included discussions with Japanese energy giant KEPCO and representatives from the national co-operative movement. The University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre held discussions with Honda.
Later, a visit to Daikin at the EXPO 2025 site celebrated the success of Greater Manchester’s heat pump rollout, where the region exceeded its initial target of installing 1,500 heat pumps in partnership with Daikin. During the meeting, a new long-term commitment was formalised and a collaboration agreement for the next five years will see Daikin chair the ‘Greater Manchester Low Carbon Heating Industry Group’, which will bring together willing organisations from the low carbon heating industry, including manufacturers, installers and trade bodies, to collaborate, innovate, and accelerate the deployment of low carbon heating technologies across the city-region.
Day Three – Osaka
On the third day, the delegation deepened civic partnerships in Osaka. A meeting with Mayor Yokoyama at Osaka City Hall explored opportunities for formalising a sister-city relationship between Osaka and Greater Manchester, focusing on shared interests in innovation, trade and sustainable development. This was followed by the signing of a memorandum of agreement between MIDAS and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce, laying the foundation for future business collaboration. Finally, the day ended with an evening reception hosted by the City of Osaka to celebrate the Greater Manchester delegation. Speakers from both Osaka and Greater Manchester remarked on the historic links, blossoming relationship between the two regions, and how our unique relationship is creating opportunities on both sides of the world.
Read the full day 3 blog here.
Day Four – EXPO2025
Greater Manchester took over the UK Pavilion at EXPO 2025 for Manchester Day, showcasing the city-region’s strength as a global hub for innovation, green technology, and collaboration. The morning’s VIP Business Event brought together leaders from Osaka and Greater Manchester, highlighting deepening ties through new agreements between MIDAS and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce. Panels on net zero and advanced materials featured partners including Daikin, Panasonic, and the University of Manchester, underlining shared ambitions around clean growth, skills development, and innovation. Mayor Andy Burnham and British Consul General Mike Blyth stressed the importance of city-led partnerships in delivering on global goals, with a clear message: Greater Manchester is open for business, driven by collaboration, and ready to lead.
The day closed with an evening reception celebrating Greater Manchester’s cultural ties with Osaka. Guests, including Osaka’s Mayor Yokoyama, were treated to a preview of BLOOM, an original performance and gift to the host city. The work showcases Manchester’s creative talent and reinforces the unique bond between the two cities.
Read the full day 4 blog here.
Day Five – BLOOM
Day 5 of the mission was a celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative spirit, headlined by the official premiere of BLOOM, the city-region’s cultural gift to Osaka. Produced by From The Other, BLOOM symbolised reinvention, connection, and the shared future between Manchester and Osaka.
Over on the UK Pavilion, Cooperative UK hosted a roundtable to raise awareness of the unique contributions of the UK and Japanese co-operative movements, and how they can work together to achieve sustainable development goals in the UN year of the co-operative. The roundtable aimed to identify opportunities for collaborative learning, joint ventures, and innovation in tech and community sustainability. It was devised in the hopes of garnering further support for co-operative-led solutions to global challenges.
Later in the day, the UK Pavilion hosted a Culture Round Table, an in-depth forum for cultural leaders and institutions from Greater Manchester and Osaka to explore the next phase of bilateral cultural cooperation. The discussion covered opportunities for shared programming, artist mobility, and collaborative projects ahead of the upcoming Japan Week in Manchester this September.
It was then announced by Cllr Bev Craig that Greater Manchester will host Japan Week, an international cultural festival, from 4-9 September 2025. The event will mark the 50th anniversary of Japan Week and will showcase the incredible 200-year friendship between Greater Manchester and Japan.
Read the full day 5 blog here.
And so concludes Greater Manchester’s mission to Japan for 2025. It’s been a hugely successful week, with the announcement of Mizkan investing a further £17m in Rochdale, Greater Manchester and Osaka working towards becoming sister cities, and an MOU signed between MIDAS and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry as just a handful of highlights, with many more to follow in the coming weeks, months, and years.