The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is a UK charity, established in 1988 and is active in the following areas:
- Making grants available to individuals, institutions and organizations to promote links between the UK and Japan across all fields of activity
- Awarding scholarships to young British graduates to study Japan and its language
- Organizing a year-round programme of events to increase understanding of Japan in the UK
- Daiwa Foundation Japan House, the London-based headquarters, acts as a center for UK-Japan relations in Britain by offering a wide programme of lectures, seminars, book launches, courses and exhibitions as well as meeting rooms for Japan-related activities.
The Foundation is represented in Japan by its Tokyo Office, which provides local assistance to Daiwa Scholars and administers grant applications from Japan. It also handles general enquiries and forms part of the network of organizations supporting links between the UK and Japan.
On 29 October 2018, the Foundation was delighted to be awarded the Japanese Ambassador’s Commendation. Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka commended the Foundation for its accomplishments in fostering closer links between Japan and the UK.
Our most distinctive programme is the Daiwa Scholarships, in which we send UK graduates we believe will be future leaders in their sectors to Japan for 18 months. We also fund postgraduates doing courses in Japanese Studies.
Jason James, Director General of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
In a ceremony held in Tokyo on 28 November 2019, the Foundation was honored to receive the Japan-British Society Award for its contributions to furthering UK-Japanese relations.
The Foundation embraces the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in its existing programmes and takes note of and is sympathetic to these in selecting Daiwa Scholars, projects to fund and speakers for its events.
Bridges spoke with Jason James, Director General of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation:
“Our most distinctive programme is the Daiwa Scholarships, in which we send UK graduates we believe will be future leaders in their sectors to Japan for 18 months. We also fund postgraduates doing courses in Japanese Studies.
“Although most of our scholarships are to ‘young British graduates’, we also have schemes offering scholarships to Japanese people and have close links with universities – particularly Japanese Studies departments around the United Kingdom.
“We also provide grants for projects between the two countries – the main recipients are university research collaborations and cultural projects (exhibitions, theatre groups, orchestras etc. travelling between the two countries).
“We hold events in the UK relating to Japan, covering a wide range of topics and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is particularly notable for events on politics, policy and sociological areas. We also have an art gallery in London specialising in contemporary Japanese artists.”
