The following is a chronological list of British heads of mission (ministers and ambassadors) in Japan, 1859–2004. Before 1905 there were no ambassadors exchanged between the two countries, the highest rank being envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary — a rank just below ambassador. Before 1859 there was no treaty and no diplomatic relations, because Japan was isolated from the world by the Tokugawa shogunate's policy of national isolation called sakoku (literally chained country).

Envoys extraordinary and Ministers plenipotentiary

• Sir Rutherford Alcock, 1859-1864
• Sir Harry Parkes,1865-1883
• Sir Francis Plunkett, 1884-1887
• Mr Hugh Fraser, 1889-1894
• Mr Power Henry Le Poer Trench , 1894-1895
• Sir Ernest Satow, 1895-1900

Ambassadors

• Sir Claude MacDonald, 1900-1912 (first ambassador from 1905)
• Sir William Conynham Green , 1912-1919
• Sir Charles Eliot, 1919-1925
• Sir John Tilley , 1926-1931
• Sir Francis Lindley , 1931-1934
• Sir Robert Clive , 1934-1937
• Sir Robert Craigie , 1937-1941

(World War II, 1941-1945)

• Sir Alvary Gascoigne , 1946-1951 (head of liaison mission)
• Sir Esler Dening , 1951-1957
• Sir Daniel Lascelles , 1957-1959
• Sir Oscar Morland , 1959-1963
• Sir Francis Rundall , 1963-1967
• Sir John Pilcher , 1967-1972
• Sir Fred Warner , 1972-1975
• Sir Michael Wilford , 1975-80
• Sir Hugh Cortazzi, 1980-1984
• Sir Sydney Giffard , 1984-1986
• Sir John Whitehead , 1986-1992
• Sir John Boyd, 1992-1996
• Sir David Wright , 1996-1999
• Sir Stephen Gomersall, 1999-2004
• Mr Graham Fry , 2004-

See also

• Anglo-Japanese relations
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office

External links

• British Envoys in Japan 1859–1972, edited and compiled by Hugh Cortazzi, Global Oriental 2004, ISBN 1-901903-51-6

• Chronology of Heads of Mission on the British Embassy in Tokyo's website