Avatar photo

Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Read biography

16th July 2019 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Japan in East Anglia

Paul and Prof Simon Kaner with Jomon Fire Flame Vessel

As an Ambassador, I enjoy occasionally getting the chance to visit different regions of the UK, and find out more about their links with Japan. This week I was in East Anglia. I began in Cambridge, calling on Professor Mickey Adolphson, the Head of the Japanese Department in the University’s Faculty of Asian and Middle […]

Read more on Japan in East Anglia | Reply

18th June 2018 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

AI, synthesised speech and elderflower lemon cake at the QBP in Tokyo

Your speech at the Queen’s Birthday Party is one of the big events of the year for most Ambassadors, in front of hundreds of VIPs and important embassy contacts. So, I suppose it was a bit brave to give up part of mine to a synthesised version of my voice, speaking random sentences written by […]

Read more on AI, synthesised speech and elderflower lemon cake at the QBP in Tokyo | Reply

21st May 2018 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Salt roads and burning straw – Golden Week in traditional Japan

Japan is a country of matsuri or festivals, usually based around the changing seasons. The “Golden Week” holiday in May, when three public holidays mean that most Japanese take the whole week off, found us in the village of Otari in the Japanese Alps, for the Shionomichi (salt road) matsuri. Dressed as peasants, though I […]

Read more on Salt roads and burning straw – Golden Week in traditional Japan | Reply

26th March 2018 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Shall we dance

You may have seen the 1996 Japanese movie  Shall We Dance, about a “sarariman”, or office worker, who found meaning in his humdrum life by taking up ballroom dancing classes. It was one of the most popular Japanese films ever to reach an international audience. I was delighted that its star, Tamiyo Kusakari, and its director, […]

Read more on Shall we dance | Reply

6th December 2017 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Nagoya means business

Chubu, the region centred on Nagoya, may be only Japan’s third conurbation. But if it was a country it would be a member of G20. And Greater Nagoya, an industrial powerhouse, produces 1% of the entire world’s GDP. So, not surprisingly, business was a big focus of my recent visit, together with Sarah Wooton, our […]

Read more on Nagoya means business | Reply

3rd October 2017 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Pig in Japan

Hosting the Tokyo launch of Peppa Pig last week made a nice change from giving speeches about Brexit and worrying about North Korean missile tests. The hugely popular British cartoon character which has been a favourite with children around the world, since its inception in 2004 has finally come to Japan. The Japanese with their […]

Read more on Pig in Japan | Reply

14th August 2017 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and visiting Western Japan

This month Japan remembers the atomic bombs which fell on Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August). I travelled to both cities, together with many other ambassadors, for the commemoration ceremonies. They were solemn and moving events, with speeches by the Prime Minister and local dignitaries, “hibakusha” bombing victims, and children. In Hiroshima I sat […]

Read more on Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and visiting Western Japan | Reply

3rd May 2017 Tokyo, Japan

Avatar photo

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Cherry blossom diplomacy

Everyone knows that Japan is famous for its cherry blossoms or “Sakura”. The subtle delicacy of the individual blooms, which collectively add up to a soft mass of pink that daubs the country at this time of year, are very special. But non-Japanese may not be quite as familiar with the very important role that […]

Read more on Cherry blossom diplomacy | Reply (1)

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.