Mainichi Shimbun
Thursday, 10 January 2013
LONDON: A host of events will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the start of diplomatic and cultural relations between Japan and Britain, the organizer announced here on Jan. 10.
The “Japan 400,” comprising Japanese and British companies and groups, is organizing the occasion in Britain to reconfirm the bilateral relationship through various events introducing Japanese culture, including an exhibition of paintings from the Edo Period (1603-1867) and events showing Japanese animations.
In 1613, King James I (1603-1625) sent a letter to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate. In return, his son, Tokugawa Hidetada, sent gifts to the king. These events are believed to be the first diplomatic exchanges between the two countries. Relations were suspended due to the Edo Shogunate’s closed-door policy but were eventually resumed toward the end of the Edo Period.
The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds and the Tower of London still house armor presented by Hidetada as part of gifts to King James I in 1613. The upcoming events also include a lecture on the generally unknown history of Japan-British relations.
A play featuring William Adams (1564-1620), a British sailor whose ship was washed up on Japanese shores in 1600 and who served as an advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu, will also be staged. Adams is known as Miura Anjin in Japan.
William Horsley, a representative of Japan 400 and a former BBC correspondent in Tokyo, is hoping that the events will help deepen understanding toward Japanese culture.
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