The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation was established following a visit to England in 1983 by Ryoichi Sasakawa, when he met a number of senior British leaders, including the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, to discuss ways in which Anglo-Japanese relations might be enhanced. They agreed that it was in the interests of both countries to develop a wider range of links through which to promote mutual appreciation and understanding. It was felt that the best way to achieve this objective would be to sponsor people in all walks of life in Britain and Japan to visit each other's country to pursue their special interests.
A non-governmental non-profit making Foundation was inaugurated in May 1985 (in parallel with similar bodies in Scandinavia, France and the United States) following a donation of almost £ 10 million from the Sasakawa Foundation (now The Nippon Foundation). The Trustees are drawn from Japan and Great Britain and the financial assets of the Foundation are professionally managed in London.
The Foundation serves educational purposes in the widest sense, supporting a wide range of activities. One priority is the promotion of co-operation between British and Japanese academics, together with exchanges between young people from schools and youth organizations. This has included tours by various sporting bodies, particularly student groups, including the handicapped. Other priorities include：
* Visits for seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures and research in most academic disciplines, and including community services, education and the voluntary sector; visits by former combatants of the second World War.
* Japanese language teaching at schools and colleges of higher education in Britain, exhibitions by artists from both countries and support for tours by orchestras, theatre companies, choirs and individual performers.
* Support for university departments of Japanese language and Japanese studies.
