The Society will hold a joint Online Lecture with The English-Speaking Union of Japan (ESUJ) at the beginning of the year 2023. Mr Sadaaki Numata, Chairman of the ESUJ and former Ambassador to Canada and Pakistan, kindly accepted to give a lecture entitled “What Britain has meant to me as a diplomat”. (The lecture is in Japanese.) The meeting ID and password will be sent to participants up to three days prior to the meeting.

Mr Sadaaki Numata AFS exchange student at The Choate School in the U.S. Graduated from the Law faculty, Tokyo University, and joined the Foreign Ministry in 1966. Served in Britain for a total of 8 years (including reading P.P.E. at Oxford University, 1966-68 and, as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy 1994-98). Involved in American affairs for 10 years in total (4 years at the Embassy in Washington, D.C., Director, Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division, and Director, First North America Division.) Interpreter in English for successive Prime Ministers in 1972-82. After Geneva (Conference on Disarmament) and Canberra (Minister at the Embassy), spent most of the 1990s as spokesman (Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman, doing a number of interviews with BBC and other channels in London, and Foreign Ministry Spokesman, 1998-2000.) Ambassador to Pakistan, 2000-2002. Ambassador to Canada, 2005-2007. Spokesman for Their Majesties The Emperor and The Empress on their visit to Canada and Hawaii in July 2009. Chairman, The English-Speaking Union of Japan since June 2011.