A snapshot of my recent trip to the UK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
From Dundee to MBE
A snapshot of my recent trip to the UK
Accompanied by my parents and brother , I collected my MBE ( Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ) at Buckingham Palace on 7 June .
I was honoured to receive the medal for services to post-earthquake reconstruction and to the British business community in Japan , awarded in The Queen ’ s 2013 New Year Honours List .
Words cannot really do justice to the splendour of the investiture experience ; suffice to say that no one delivers fanfare , ceremony and tradition quite like the British .
During my trip to the UK I had the opportunity to speak at the graduation ceremony of my old high school about my journey from Dundee to the BCCJ via the University of St Andrews .
I ’ m not afraid to admit that I hadn ’ t felt as nervous in a long time at the thought of facing a gym full of 400 teenagers . This is proof , perhaps , that no matter how far you think you ’ ve come , or how much you feel you ’ ve achieved , the thought of getting ready for high school still has the power to make one feel a little queasy .
Another crowd I faced was a class of 30 , comprising five-year-olds , for whom I assumed the role of mystery reader at my nephew ’ s primary school in Epsom , Surrey .
After talking about Japan and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami , I was asked a number of probing questions such as “ Why didn ’ t your building fall down ?” and “ Have you been to Spain ?”.
On 10 June I visited the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( JCCI ) in London and discussed a variety of possible synergies between our organisations , including private sector support for the Japan Matsuri , scheduled to take place in Trafalgar Square on 4 October .
I have since connected the JCCI with the British Council in Japan , regarding a forthcoming mission to the UK , where a JCCI member will address Japanese students on the theme of global jinzai .
Such introductions are a core — although often underplayed — function of the BCCJ .
On the same day , I met the BBC World Business Matters team at the BBC ’ s new
headquarters . In the summer , I will appear on the programme . It is a live show , with discussion of the business and economic news it covers , aimed at listeners in the US and Asia .
The BBC is interested in connecting with BCCJ members regarding current affairs in the region , so please stay tuned for more information .
Later , I was lucky enough to be given a guided tour of the House of Commons and the House of Lords by Lord Jack McConnell , the first minister of Scotland ( 2001 – 2007 ).
On 11 June , I spoke at the Japan Society on “ The Road to Recovery ”, detailing five lessons that were learned from the BCCJ ’ s post-3 / 11 relief and reconstruction activities .
Moderated by Sir David Warren , the presentation on our Back to Business initiative prompted a lively 45-minute question and answer session , with many of the audience keen to hear what was happening on the ground in Tohoku . Hosted at JETRO , the event will be covered by Kyodo News later this month .
Lori Henderson MBE BCCJ Executive Director