Japan's ambassador to the UK, Hiroshi Suzuki, has become a social media sensation since taking up his post in September 2024, winning hearts with his enthusiastic embrace of British culture. The 65-year-old diplomat, who carries a Paddington Bear toy on his travels, has been dubbed 'the Paddington Bear of ambassadors'.
A Diplomat's Unconventional Charm
Suzuki, born in Kyoto and the son of teachers, has worked as a diplomat for 40 years and was a friend of assassinated former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. He has been posted from Washington DC to Iran and Afghanistan, but he seems to love the British Isles the best.
Within months of his arrival, Suzuki went viral after releasing a video of himself singing the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, before a visit there, while holding Welsh and Japanese flags and a dragon toy. He has continued to win hearts across the land ever since.
From Ascot to the Black Country
Suzuki posts his exploits with the Paddington Bear toy, bought by his wife Eiko, to his 221,000 followers on X, saying social media helps him “reach out.” The super smiley ambassador has appeared with the plushie at Ascot racecourse, the Badminton Horse trials, Silverstone, and the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland.
On a tour of the Black Country Living Museum in the West Midlands, they both donned peaked caps like those from the Peaky Blinders TV series. When he and Eiko went to see Paddington: The Musical, she wore a customized kimono featuring the marmalade-loving critter for the occasion.
Suzuki explains: “Through him, I express my love and affection for British people and British culture because Japanese people love British culture.” He reckons his nation can't get enough of the Beatles and James Bond, and have huge respect for famous figures like playwright William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A Taste for Pints and Local Fare
Suzuki has a personal passion for pints, posting snaps of himself enjoying a beer in the Churchill Arms in London and the Turf Tavern in Oxford. He has drunk Boddingtons alongside ex-mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, as well as downing a draught of Adnams in Norwich.
Suzuki says: “I love going to pubs. Enjoying a good local ale or bitter is always a huge joy to me.” He is also a fan of British food, with fish and chips with a splash of Sarsons vinegar a particular favourite. After sampling traditional Scouse in Liverpool, he described it as “boss scran”. On a visit to Manchester, he said: “Eccles cakes are the best”. He has also said Scotland's fizzy drink Irn-Bru is “just great” and branded haggis “fantastic.”
With the Premier League kicking off this weekend, the diplomat has also expressed his support for British football teams, saying Japanese players long to ply their trade in the top-flight, calling it “the pitch of their dreams”. In his time here, Suzuki has pulled on both Liverpool and Everton shirts on visits to the North-West and toured Man City's Etihad stadium. He also went to a match at Celtic FC, after enjoying a “wee swally” of Tennent's lager, of course.
On 23rd April this year, he wished the English a “Happy St George's Day” in a video of him enjoying tea and cake, while offering up a single red rose to the camera.
Of course, Suzuki's role has a serious side. He says: “Japan and the UK are irreplaceable partners who share fundamental values and common strategic interests.” But it's the down-to-earth pleasure he's taken in everyday British traditions that has made him a celebrity in his own right and given us a timely reminder of all the things we have to offer the world. One observer hailed Suzuki as not only the “cutest man” he had ever seen, but added: “He has made me feel more proud to be British than any figure since I was born.”
