Highlights from the British Business Awards 2024

“Better Business, Better World” was the theme of the 17th annual British Business Awards (BBA), held by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) at Hilton Tokyo on November 8th. More than 300 members and guests attended the black tie gala to celebrate the very best of UK–Japan relations and “the essential role that business plays in shaping our lives for the better.”

This year’s BBA saw 44 nominees compete for a coveted trophy—carved by award-winning British sculptor Kate Thomson of Ukushima Sculpture Studio—in one of six award categories: Digi-Tech Innovation; Responsible Business; Entrepreneur of the Year; UK–Japan Partnership of the Year, Company of the Year and Outstanding Contribution: a new category open to individuals who significantly impacted their field in the past 12 months.

Members and guests, clad in tuxedos, ballgowns, kilts and kimono, were welcomed with a flute of Louis Pommery English Brut while nominees had their photos taken by representatives of visual production company Life.14 at a BBA-themed photo booth.

Soon after, the ballroom doors were opened and the BCCJ bar began serving British favourites including Silent Pool Gin and Arran Single Malt from Whisk-e, Wimbledon Pale Ale and Wimbledon IPA from Wimbledon Brewery and Aspall Cyder.

Attendees savoured a five-course meal comprising a fusion of British and Japanese cuisine. The miso-roasted pumpkin and saffron velouté was followed by “fish and chips:” tuna tartare (with yuzu kosho, malt vinegar pickles and potato mille-feuille) and beer-battered cod (with tsukemono pickle tartare and lime gel). The Japanese beef wellington was encased in a delicate crepe, with mustard, local mushrooms, asparagus and red wine jus, served with whipped mashed potatoes. Dessert was a British classic: Eton Mess. Rounding off the meal was the cheese plate, featuring British vintage cheddar, artisan crackers and dried fruits.

Supporting Noto

Central to this year’s festivities was the Noto Peninsula, with the event aiming to provide a powerful platform to support recovery efforts in the region following the earthquake there on January 1st.

The soup course featured miso and pumpkin from Noto while the sake served was made at the three breweries of Hiyoshi, Hakutou and Shimizu, which are now rebuilding with support from other breweries to sustain sake production in hard-hit areas.

The entertainment, introduced by masters of ceremonies Guy Perryman MBE and Madoka Kato, also hailed from Noto. Gojinjo-dailko, a traditional taiko drumming style from Wajima, stirred the audience with powerful rhythms, synchronized movements and immeasurable energy.

Skilled artisans in Noto also produced the item for this year’s silent auction: a jet-black plate featuring a bespoke design of the Union Flag using the maki-e technique. It was made exclusively for the BBA.

Half of the proceeds of this year’s BBA will be split equally among three charities helping local efforts in the Noto peninsula: NPO Tsumugigumi, Creating the Future of Sotoura and A Home for All.

HM Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom CMG said it was “heartwarming to see the spirit of Noto integrated into many different aspects of the BBA evening,” describing it as “an excellent example of our partnership in action.” Her trip to Noto earlier this year, she continued, presented an opportunity “to see the valuable work that BCCJ members are doing to help the recovery process, together with local communities.”

Celebrating excellence

Addressing attendees, BCCJ President Richard Lyle expressed optimism for the continued development of UK–Japan ties: “It is truly inspiring to witness the UK–Japan relationship grow ever stronger … The strong bond means we will continue to see numerous opportunities for collaboration on multiple fronts, tackling some of the pressing global challenges of our time including decarbonisation, digitalisation and beyond.”

BCCJ Executive Director Sarah Backley congratulated all the nominees, noting that they reflect the most impressive and innovative contributions made by organisations and individuals in Japan over the past 12 months.

Ambassador Longbottom celebrated the role of the BCCJ in connecting people and supporting business. “My mission as ambassador is to work with and through our network in Japan to build an ever-closer UK-Japan partnership,” she said. “Partnership in uncertain times makes us stronger and more resilient.”

The UK-Japan business partnership will be “a key element of our presence at Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai,” she explained. “The UK Pavillion’s theme of ‘Come Build the Future’ is an invitation from the UK to Japan and to the world to come together to build solutions to the biggest challenges. And the outstanding company nominations tonight show that this is already happening. Congratulations to all of you for being nominated. Whether or not you win an award this evening, you should all be immensely proud of your achievements.”

Unveiling the winners

Before presenting the BBA trophies, the efforts of the judges, who hail from the UK–Japan community, were recognised. The panel comprised (in alphabetical order)
• Tammy Beaumont MBE, England Women’s Cricketer and World Cup Winner
• David Bickle OBE, Former President at the BCCJ
• Junko Kemi, founder of Kay Me
• Martin Kent, HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific
• Moriaki (Mori) Kida, director, International Affairs Bureau, Keidanren
• Yuuichiro Nakajima, founder of Crimson Phoenix
Each judge was assigned specific categories to assess, on criteria founded on the BBA values of success, innovation and ethics, to ensure the process was fair and free of influence.

The winners were:
Company of the Year: FGS Global (Japan) GK
UK–Japan Partnership of the Year: PW Productions & Toho Co., Ltd.
Digi-Tech Innovation: Oxford Instruments Kabushiki Kaisha (OIKK)
Responsible Business: Barclays Japan
Entrepreneur of the Year: Astris Advisory Japan (David Shirt)
Outstanding Contribution: Joseph Tame

For more on the winners, click here

The lively mood continued with the raffle and a game of heads and tails to decide the winner of the top prize: two Club World business class tickets between Tokyo and London with British Airways.

Closing out the event was Heart Cocktail Quintet, who performed musical favourites as guests took to the dance floor. Their act was followed by the BBA afterparty at Hilton Tokyo’s bar Zatta.

The BBA was possible thanks to the support of many BCCJ member companies including gold sponsors BAE Systems, Robert Walters and Forvis Mazars; silver sponsor Argentum Wealth, bronze sponsor Standard Chartered; and headline prize sponsor British Airways. London Stock Exchange became the first ever sponsor of the Responsible Business Award category. There were also many in-kind, media and prize sponsors.