The Japan Society of the UK facts for kids
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| Formation | 1891 |
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| Type | Bilateral relations organisation |
| Purpose | Promote good relations between Japan and the UK |
| Location |
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Region served
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Japan, UK |
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Official language
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English, Japanese |
| Website | http://www.japansociety.org.uk/ |
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 United Kingdom |
 Japan |
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The Japan Society of the United Kingdom, founded in 1891, is an organisation that fosters British-Japanese relations. It is the oldest such organisation dedicated to inter-cultural understanding and positive relationships between a European Country and Japan. The society is also known as the Japan Society of London, or simply as The Japan Society.
History
The society grew out of a meeting of the International Congress of Orientalists, held in London on 9 September 1891, when a resolution was passed calling for the formation of a society "for the encouragement of Japanese studies and for the purpose of bringing together all those in the United Kingdom and throughout the world who are interested in Japanese matters".
The society's founder, Arthur Diosy (1856-1923), was a debonair figure, who spoke fluent Japanese, and wrote several books including The New Far East'.
Membership
The society reports that it has a membership in excess of 1,000 individual and corporate members, 45% of which are Japanese.
Merger
In October 2007, the UK charity Japan 21, merged into the society, which adopted its educational and grassroots activities relating to Japan, alongside the society's business-related, academic and cultural activities.
