While they may seem total opposites, surprisingly Manchester shares a long and successful history with Japan. 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. Japanese businesses in Manchester in 2025Examples of Japanese companies currently in Greater Manchester include Nippon Electric Glass, Kansai Electric Power Company and Hitachi Astemo. 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. They serve traditional Japanese lager, traditional English pub fare, and Japanese-inspired dishes like katsu, teriyaki ox tongue, and tempura.