This April Transport for the North will become England’s first statutory Sub-National Transport Body, followed by the first-ever metro mayoral elections for the Sheffield City Region in May. Taken together with plans for HS2, these developments are key to the UK Government’s devolution and economic growth agenda, but what lessons can be learnt for the Northern Powerhouse from Japan’s regional connectivity?

Local government in Japan has a long history of implementing local measures to make regions more attractive, while the new city regions are a more recent development in English devolution. Kindly hosted by the University of Sheffield School of East Asian Studies (SEAS), join us to discuss and learn more about Japan’s systems for regional vitalization and decentralization, and what these could mean for future policy in the UK.

Speakers include:

• Jotaru Horiuchi - Minister, Embassy of Japan in the UK
• Susumu Nagawa - Director (Life-Style Business), London Office, East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
• Dr Arianna Giovannini - Senior Lecturer, De Montford University Local Governance Research Unit
• Neil Firth – Head of Major Projects and Infrastructure, Doncaster Council
• Simon Bolton – Tender Engineering Manager, Hitachi Rail Europe
• Sarah Longlands - Senior Research Fellow, IPPR North
• Tobyn Hughes - Managing Director, Nexus Tyne and Wear
• Henri Murison - Director, Northern Powerhouse Partnership
• Prof. Ed Ferrari - Director, Sheffield Hallam University Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research
• Tim Wood - Interim Northern Powerhouse Rail Director, Transport for the North

Registration from 13.00 and followed by a networking reception (until 17.30).

For further enquiries, contact 020 7839 8500 or mailbox@jlgc.org.uk

Keywords: devolution, city regions, high-speed rail, Japan, Northern Powerhouse, metro mayors