Hiroshi Suzuki, Japan's ambassador to the UK, has become a social media sensation by embracing British culture, from real ales to local catchphrases, alongside his Paddington Bear plushie, demonstrating a successful approach to modern diplomacy. This contrasts with traditional diplomatic methods and highlights the power of authenticity and social media engagement for building influence and fostering positive relationships.
Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.cards interface. Give it a try.TOKYO: This is the face of diplomacy in 2026: A 64-year-old Japanese man with a Paddington bear plushie downing a pint and exclaiming, “That’s boss, that!” Hiroshi Suzuki, Tokyo’s ambassador to the UK, is winning hearts and minds online, not through promotion of sushi, sumo or the other staples of traditional Japanese culture that envoys normally engage in, but via his love of Britain.
On social media, he samples real ales and other local delights, with his signature Peruvian bear in tow. Appointed in 2024, Suzuki started to make waves early last year. Posts showing him knocking back a beer for New Year’s, enjoying traditional cakes on a trip to Cardiff, and singing the Welsh national anthem went viral. Recent visits to Scotland and Birmingham, where Suzuki dressed in the distinctive suit and flat cap of the Peaky Blinders, the violent interwar crime gang made famous in the BBC TV series, have elevated him even further. His most popular posts frequently include a local catchphrase - “By’eck, it’s gorgeous!” after downing an impressive amount of ale; “That’s boss scran!” after consuming a Liverpudlian specialty dish. His enthusiasm for anything British seems to know no bounds, from distinctly local drinks like Vimto and Irn-Bru, to haggis and chicken tikka masala. “PADDINGTON BEAR OF AMBASSADORS” Suzuki, who was once a secretary to the late Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, has some 200,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter. But his influence extends well beyond it. At last year’s Labour Party conference, attendees and politicians queued up for selfies. He is showing the right way to win friends and influence people. It should be a lesson for diplomats the world over. In an era of cynicism, Suzuki offers unadulterated wholesomeness. After being dubbed the “Paddington bear of ambassadors” by a UK newspaper, he adopted the moniker, making the character his personal mascot. It now accompanies him on his trips, and his wife has a bear-adorned kimono obi. Dubbed the “Paddington bear of ambassadors”, Hiroshi Suzuki, Tokyo's ambassador to the UK, travels around with a Paddington bear plushie in tow. And with the internet increasingly dominated by AI slop, he offers the crucial element of authenticity. Whether eating crumpets or attending Wimbledon, he looks like he’s genuinely having the time of his life. Suzuki’s love of British things is rather typical of his generation, which grew up when the UK was an epicentre of hipness, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the punk fashions of Vivienne Westwood. Associating himself with long-standing British activities and values helps at a time when the country is going through something of an identity crisis. “48 times the Japanese ambassador made us proud to be British,” gushes one typical headline. Many contrast his social media appearances with the awkward or even nagging online presence of Britain’s own politicians. Twee though it might be, the strategy is smarter than it might look. Suzuki’s image stands not just in contrast to dry European diplomats, but to Chinese “wolf warriors”, more likely to take to social media posting AI-generated cringe, or urging a government to “correct its wrong”. Amid uncertain alliances and shifting power structures, this soft approach can translate into real results.Teimuraz Lezhava, the Georgian envoy to Tokyo, has built such a formidable social media presence that he’s become known as the “viral ambassador”. Despite his nation having a population of less than 4 million, he has nearly twice as many followers as Suzuki, thanks to direct engagement built through his native Japanese skills and authentic voice . “Social media is free, so small countries like us still have a chance,” Lezhava says. Not only does his popularity open doors with ministers and officials, his legions of fans online alert him when they see misinformation about his country or its Russian-occupied areas.While Lezhava might show off Georgian wine and shkmeruli , he cautions that relating to the audience is key. “Half of my posts are about Japan and have nothing to do with Georgia,” he says. The main thing is to embrace local, everyday culture, use the language, travel outside the capital, and keep things informal - no one needs another tweet about the ambassador having the great honour to attend some summit and meet such-and-such official. And it’s not just for countries with little to spend. The former US ambassador to Tokyo, Rahm Emanuel, put aside his sharp-elbowed reputation to take to social media trumpeting Japan’s charms, from trains to safe streets. . It’s a soft-power lever that many countries often overlook. Japan’s recently appointed ambassador to France, Hideo Suzuki, is among those paying attention, racking up over 2 million views on a post in French of him eating a sugar waffle. “One wonders whether he is the ambassador of Japan to France or the ambassador of France to France,” asked one user. So diplomats, get yourself a plushie, a pint - and some enthusiasm for local produce. Modern diplomacy starts here. Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
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