Congratulations to All British Business Awards 2022 Winners!

The 15th annual British Business Awards
“RECONNECT”
celebrates the very best of UK-Japan business relations,
organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

The best of UK-Japan relations, as well as British excellence, innovation, diversity, entrepreneurship and responsible business contributions in Japan were recognised last night at the British Business Awards 2022 (BBA2022), welcoming over 200 guests to the the Conrad Tokyo.

Organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ), with award winners chosen by a panel of seven independent judges from the worlds of business, sports, tech, and government, the BBA is considered a unique yearly showcase for British creativity, culture and commerce.

It was a crystal year for the BBA’s 15th anniversary. Driven by the theme of “RECONNECT”, this year’s BBA highlighted some of the most impressive and innovative contributions made by UK-Japan-related organisations and individuals over the past twelve months, including responses to the continued challenges posed by the pandemic and the return to a revised normality.

BBA2022 Winners

Company of the Year:
ESR LTD.

ESR has become APAC’s largest real asset manager and the third largest listed real estate investment manager globally, following the acquisition of ARA Asset Management in January 2022. In Japan, in addition to logistics facilities, ESR has expanded into data centre development, increased its focus on renewable energy, and continues to set ambitious new milestones.

UK-Japan Partnership:
BT Group – Toshiba Group

Toshiba and BT have researched collaboratively for over 20 years to pioneer a solution to mitigate the threat to data security posed by quantum computers. That research has now developed into a commercial partnership that will deliver major economic and technological advantages for Governments and organisations around the world.

Entrepreneur of the Year:
PodLaunch with Jayne (Jayne Nakata)

Jayne’s nomination was to spotlight the value women bring to the podcast industry in Japan and to support underrepresented voices. Jayne has grown the English language podcasting scene in Japan by 400% over 2021-2022, ensuring that voices of British people in Japan are now on air to be heard.

Study UK Alumni of the Year:

Kathleen Reilly

After graduating from the Royal College of Art in London with a master’s degree in Jewellery and Metalwork, Kathleen moved to Japan in 2019 as a winner of the prestigious Daiwa-Foundation Scholarship. She spent a year and a half training in Tsubame City, sharing knowledge that fosters a greater understanding of British and Japanese culture. Kathleen wishes to promote how having access to the methods of teaching available in both the UK and Japan can result in innovative and thought-provoking work that encourages new links between these two countries.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Champion of the Year:

EY Japan Co., Ltd.

This year, EY Japan launched its “Diverse Abilities Center”, newly hiring 22 neurodiverse people on 1st June, 2022. Now preparing for their 2nd round of neurodiverse people hiring in the Diverse Abilities Center, EY Japan also plan to launch a “Neurodiversity Center of Excellence”, where neurodiverse people work and offer a variety of services to clients. EY Japan’s DE&I action towards neurodiversity people is not simply for the CSR purpose, rather it is a value creation process. Through the Diverse Abilities Center, neurodiverse talents can show off their great skillsets and career up like other EY Japan members, and also EY Japan itself can benefit from their strong skills thus enhance our corporate value for all stakeholders.

Digi-Tech Innovation:

AstraZeneca K.K.

AstraZeneca K.K. promotes innovation by driving a platform that generates beyond industry collaboration for new digital utilisation in healthcare and through strategic partnerships with technology-driven companies in the UK. They also innovate through driving sustainability, including net-zero emission initiatives, and advocating its values widely beyond the industry.

Responsible Business:
Global Perspectives

Global Perspectives K.K. is on a mission to transform the way companies work. By embedding sustainability into corporate culture, they help employees from every level and function understand how their role contributes to the company’s sustainability ambitions, and so enable clients to unleash their potential for positive impact.

We’re back – Reconnecting!

The BBA2022 gala was supported by an impressive range of BCCJ member companies and friends, with Robert Walters Japan contributing as Headline sponsor.

After a two-year hiatus, the BCCJ was delighted to welcome in-person guests to the Awards, as well as an online audience from around the world. Guided by masters of ceremonies Guy Perryman MBE and Madoka Kato, over 200 guests came together to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the British Business Awards at the Conrad Tokyo. The event featured appearances from HM Ambassador to Japan, Julia Longbottom CMG, BCCJ President Richard Lyle, and many other BCCJ leaders and long-term supporters.

The event featured a wide range of creative touches which have become synonymous with the annual gala.

Atsushi Yamane, lead piper at the Tokyo Pipe Band, heralded the start of the event with a live bagpipe performance on entry. Reception drinks were enjoyed at the BCCJ Bar, featuring crowd-favourite drinks provided by BCCJ members Berry Bros & Rudd, Bushmills, Fever-Tree, Silent Pool (Whisk-e), and Wimbledon Brewery.

Before shifting down a gear to enjoy a mouth-watering five-course dinner, guests were invited to enjoy the “History of the BBAs”, a stand-out video montage featuring many familiar faces to the BCCJ, including Phil Gibb, Nick Walters, David Bickle, Mark Dytham, Kate Thomson, Martyn Jones. Created by Sam Maddicott at the BCCJ, the video took us through the 15-year history of the BBAs, from how it started, to the story behind the symbolic BBA logo, to the journey of its evolvement into the largest annual celebration of UK-Japan culture and commerce it is today.

Entertainment throughout the evening was provided by the Marcus Pittman Quintet, in the form of live classic favourite British hits. Alongside the band, we welcomed artist Ponzi, who worked on an exquisite live painting all through the event, which was then won through a silent auction, with all proceeds going to Refugees Empowerment International. 

Award Ceremony

Long-term BCCJ member, Kate Thomson of Ukishima Sculpture Studios in Iwate created the eight coveted BBA2022 trophies reflecting this year’s BBA theme, RECONNECT.

On the night, the winner of each category was announced in a ceremony presided over by BCCJ Executive Director Sarah Backley, with HM Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom revealing the winning company names.

Competition was stiffer than ever this year, with 49 nominations received across seven award categories:

• Company of the Year
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• UK-Japan Partnership
• Study UK Alumni of the Year
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Responsible Business
• Digital & Tech Innovation

Luxury Raffle

A luxury raffle draw was led by BCCJ Executive Director Sarah Backley and Jeremy Sampson, Managing Director at Headline Sponsor Robert Walters Japan, with 50% of proceeds going to The Nippon Foundation in support of evacuees fleeing the war in Ukraine and coming to Japan. The delivery of the BBA2022 would not have been possible without the generous support of our hospitality and beverage prize sponsors below, and Sarah extended a huge thanks to each of the prize sponsors for their contribution to the event.

The final prize of the night was two Club World business class tickets from Tokyo to London, courtesy of British Airways, which was won through a lively game of Heads or Tails until the crowd was whittled down to one.

The gala was followed by a nijikai (afterparty) at Conrad Tokyo’s Bar & Lounge “Twenty Eight”, where guests enjoyed a breathtaking view over the Hamarikyu Garden.

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BBA 2022 PROGRAMME

An introduction to the outstanding achievements of this year’s 49 nominees is detailed in BBA 2022 programme below.

SPONSORS

Sincere thanks to the BBA 2022 sponsors, without whom the BCCJ’s fifteenth black-tie event would not have been possible:

Headline sponsor: Robert Walters Japan
Gold sponsor: British Council
Silver sponsors: Argentum Wealth Management, Standard Chartered
Bronze sponsors: AP Advisers, Catherine O’Connell Law
In-Kind sponsors: Berry Bros and Rudd, Bushmills, Fever-Tree, Orihica, Silent Pool Gin, Swan & Lion, Ukishima Sculpture Studio, Unilever, Whisk-e Ltd., Wimbledon Brewery
Media sponsors: Custom Media, Guy Perryman, Hilton x Vega, Life.14