2006–2007 Formal relationship established: Initial cooperation agreement signed between London and Tokyo under Mayor Ken Livingstone and Governor Shintaro Ishihara. Set the foundation for structured policy exchange
February 2023, Sadiq Khan It was an honour to welcomed the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko to London City Hall. They reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between the two cities and discussed work to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen cities ties in trade, investment and culture.
We maintain an up-to-date register of sister city partnerships in the English-speaking countries within our area of responsibility:
| Prefecture | Local Government | Affiliated Counterpart | Details |
| Hokkaido Prefecture | Yoichi Town | East Dunbartonshire | Spirit of friendship |
| Miyagi Prefecture | Murata Town | Buckley, Flintshire | Flintshire welcomes Japanese visitors |
| Tochigi Prefecture | Mashiko Town | St.Ives, Cornwall | St Ives’ friendship agreement |
| Tokyo Metropolitan Government | Greater London Authority | MoU Details | |
| Kanagawa Prefecture | Kawasaki City | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | Sheffield’s partner cities page |
| Ishikawa Prefecture | Komatsu City | Gateshead | Twinning page |
| Ishikawa Prefecture | Hakusan City | Boston, Lincolnshire | Education exchange article |
| Nagano Prefecture | Otari Village | Ottery St. Mary, Devon | The Otari Bell |
| Shizuoka Prefecture | Ito City | Medway, Kent | Medway-Japan Friendship Association |
| Aichi Prefecture | Toyota City | Derbyshire, Derby, South Derbyshire | DCC webpage |
| Kyoto Prefecture | Edinburgh | Japanese Consulate article | |
| Kyoto Prefecture | Maizuru City | Portsmouth, Hampshire | Portsmouth Council webpage |
| Oita Prefecture | Beppu City | Bath, Bath & North East Somerset | Bath’s Twinning Associations |
| Kagoshima Prefecture | London Borough of Camden, Greater London | Camden Council webpage | |
| Kagoshima Prefecture | City of Manchester, Greater Manchester | Manchester’s global connections | |
| Fukushima Prefecture | Motomiya City | The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Greater London | RBKC webpage |
| Osaka Prefecture | Osaka City | Greater Manchester Combined Authority | GMCA webpage |
For sister city relationships in our other countries of responsibility – Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden – please refer to the Sister Cities in Japan page on the CLAIR website.
JLGC supports UK partners of Japanese sister cities through a combination of advisory support, practical facilitation, and network access.
Primarily, JLGC acts as an advisory resource, helping UK local authorities understand Japanese local government structures, protocols, and engagement norms. This includes guidance on how to initiate or maintain sister city relationships, identify relevant counterpart municipalities, and develop realistic areas of cooperation aligned with both sides’ priorities.
In addition, JLGC provides practical support where needed, such as facilitating introductions between UK and Japanese councils, supporting communication across language and administrative differences, and helping to shape joint projects in areas like education, culture, resilience, and local economic development. It also helps sustain relationships over time by maintaining institutional knowledge and continuity despite staff rotation.
Finally, JLGC serves as a network and knowledge connector, drawing on CLAIR’s wider international local government network to connect UK partners to relevant expertise, comparative policy insights, and opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
