Imagine the place furthest from Manchester you possibly can.
How quickly does Japan spring to mind? With its colourful kimonos, gorgeous views of Mount Fuji and reputation of practising peace and tranquillity, it certainly seems a far cry from Ancoats on Saturday night.
While they may seem total opposites, surprisingly Manchester shares a long and successful history with Japan. Dating back to the 19th Century, a group of students from the Osaka province Satsuma travelled to the UK to learn about the technology of the industrial revolution, that was making strides in the Northern cotton industry at the time.
They took what they had learnt back home and adopted the same techniques, which led to Japan’s own industrial revolution and Osaka’s birth as “The Manchester of the East”, which ensured its place as a leader in the worldwide textiles trade.
Over 100 years later in December 2023, Greater Manchester signed a significant partnership deal with Osaka designed to strengthen trade and cooperation links with Japan.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, then lead a team to Tokyo and Osaka to explore the cities’ rich and vibrant experiences, as well as aiming to develop and promote investment, sustainability and education links with their universities.
Japan still remains one of Manchester’s most important foreign partners.
In 2022, we exported £99m worth of goods to Japan, and in 2021 service exports from Manchester to Japan were valued at £151m, making them Greater Manchester’s most successful market in service export.
Japan is also a thriving market for foreign direct investment into the UK, consistently ranking among their top 15 source countries for the last three years.
Japanese businesses in Manchester in 2025
Examples of Japanese companies currently in Greater Manchester include Nippon Electric Glass, Kansai Electric Power Company and Hitachi Astemo. Not to mention the array of Japanese restaurants the city is proud to host, such as Kitten in Deansgate and Waku Waku on Portland Street.
Interestingly, Waku Waku boasts the distinctive reputation of being the UK’s first and only 2D restaurant, with its inside decorated with hand-drawn cartoons by the owners, reflecting symbols and artworks that are distinctly Japanese.
In August 2023, Factory International in Deansgate also successfully hosted the infamous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, with her world-famous installation You Me and the Balloons, which attracted close to 12,000 people during its run.
The installation of 10 feet high polka dot balloons in varying shapes and sizes had been conceived especially for the building and was installed by local artists Princess Arinola Adegbite and Venessa Scott, aimed at enhancing observation and discussion.
The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University also have a history of attracting Japanese students, with 500 students enrolled at both learning centres within the last two years.
Himari Suzuki, 24, is currently studying computer science at the University of Manchester and will graduate this year.
“The university was so highly promoted at my senior high school in Kyoto, and it made me so determined to come here.
“There is a large international population, and we’ve been allowed to form our own societies, which means I can get together with other Japanese people and do things like cooking, which reminds me of home.
“I chose to study here to expand my language skills and broaden my horizons, as stereotypical as that sounds!
“It’s brilliant that there is a lot offered here to get to know other cultures.
“My teachers were so welcoming and so happy to embrace us, and there is obviously so much to do in Manchester that’s reminiscent of home.”
Japanese events in Manchester
With 17 Japanese restaurants alone in Greater Manchester, and the city’s Japanese population said to be currently 0.3%, the city tries to host events that reflect and celebrate their shared history.
Greater Manchester has been selected as the host of Japan Week 2025, an event dedicated towards fostering cultural exchange and strengthening international ties through celebrating Japanese heritage, arts and innovation.
The event will take place from 4 -9 September and will feature performances, exhibitions and culinary experiences across the wider city, as well as celebrate Manchester-Japan business collaborations.
The event will include workshops, exhibitions, performances, and interactive experiences with traditional tea ceremonies and musical performances also confirmed to be taking pace.
Lindsay Burrell is a spokesperson of the organisation hosting the event, The International Friendship Organisation.
“This is such a prestigious event. We’re so pleased as a city to host it, it is a jewel in our crown. We cannot wait to embrace the cuisine, music, art and Japanese culture further.”
Other Japanese delights up North
The Queens Arms in Eccles, a 200-year-old pub, has been restored as a traditional pub with a Japanese izakaya-style menu.
Owners Anthony Sit and Mr. Lo established a business that offers a distinctive blend of British charm and Japanese culinary delights.
They serve traditional Japanese lager, traditional English pub fare, and Japanese-inspired dishes like katsu, teriyaki ox tongue, and tempura.
Luke Ito, 29, who resides in Oldham, is an enthusiastic supporter of the relationship between his home country and Manchester.
“I’m half Japanese and spent five years in Nagoya growing up,” he said.
“I think how much Mancunians do to embrace other cultures is great.
“As a mainly working-class city, it’s unlikely a lot of people here will be able to travel to Japan as it is expensive, but Japanese music and food can be on our doorsteps now, so we don’t miss out.”
Flights from Manchester Airport to Tokyo take approximately 16 hours, but are readily promoted throughout the year, as weather in Japan corresponds with different seasons to the UK.
We recommend a visit.
All image credits: Philippa Walton
Join the discussion