T.M. the Emperor and Empress of Japan paid an auspicious visit to Sweden from May 28 to 31, 2000. Their Majesties, accompanied by T.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, visited the European Institute of Japanese Studies (EIJS) at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), on Tuesday, May 30. Dr. Carl-Johan Åberg, Chairman of the Board of the SSE, Professor Claes-Robert Julander, Chairman of the EIJS and President of the SSE, and Professor Magnus Blomström, President of the EIJS, received Their Majesties. Inside the School, Their Majesties were greeted by the members of the EIJS Advisory Board including Director Masaru Ishii of the Japan-Sweden Society, Mr Toyoo Gyohten, President of the Institute for International Monetary Affairs and Professor Staffan Burenstam Linder, Founder of the EIJS.
Dr. Hideki Shirakawa, Professor at the University of Tsukuba, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 for the discovery and development of conductive polymers. He delivered the Nobel Lecture, titled “The Discovery of Polyacetylene Film: The Dawning of an Era of Conducting Polymers”.
H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf, Honorary President of the World Scout Foundation, visited to Japan from April 20 to 23, 2001 to participate in the WSF’s various events. A welcoming dinner in honour of H.M. the King of Sweden was held on April 21 at the Keio Plaza Hotel under the sponsorship of the Boy Scouts of Nippon. President Hattori and many other members of the Society and their families including Nobel Laureate and Mrs. Leo Esaki as well as Nobel Laureate and Mrs. Hideki Shirakawa were invited to join the dinner.
H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria paid a visit to Japan from October 13 to 20, 2001. H.R.H. the Crown Princess of Sweden was graciously present at various functions of the “Sweden Style in Tokyo 2001”, a one-year nationwide program introducing and promoting Swedish art, music and culture. President Hattori and many other members of the Society were invited to attend the buffet dinner hosted by SCCJ (The Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan) at the Ambassador’s Residence on October 15. The Society had the honour of presenting a gift of a handbag to the Crown Princess.
Dr. Ryoji Noyori, Professor, Nagoya University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001 for his work on chirally catalysed hydrogenation reactions. He received his Nobel Prize from H.M. the King of Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall on December 10, 2001.
Mr. Göran Holmquist, former Vice President of the Society, passed away on January 9, 2002, in Sweden. President Hattori made a floral offering at the funeral service on February 1.
H.E. Ambassador Michael Lindström arrived in October 2002 to succeed H.E. Mr. Krister Kumlin and presented his Credentials on November 25, 2002.
Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba of the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics, the University of Tokyo and Mr. Koichi Tanaka of Shimadzu Corporation were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002. It was the first time that two Japanese were awarded the Nobel Prize in the same year. Dr. Koshiba was awarded in Physics for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos, while Mr. Tanaka was awarded in Chemistry for the development of methods for identification and structure analyses of biological macromolecules.
Mr. Goro Gadelius, who served as Vice Chairman of the Society under the Presidency of Mr. Akira Matsui, passed away in London on July 31, 2003. The Society made a floral offering at the funeral service in Stockholm on August 22.
The Society held the farewell party for Mr. & Mrs. Edman who would return to Sweden, on December 1 2003, at the Nippon Kogyo Club. Mr. Edman had served as Managing Director since 1993, and the Society presented a gift of clock as gratitude for his great contribution toward the Society. The 34 members and their guests enjoyed the winter evening, cherishing various functions with Mr. & Mrs. Edman.
Dr. Keizo Yamaji, who served as Director since 1997, passed away on December 26, 2003. President Hattori attended the funeral function on February 25, 2004 at Hotel Okura.
The Society and the European Institute of Japanese Studies (EIJS) co-hosted the symposium on “Lessons from Deregulations in Sweden” on October 22, 2004, at the Swedish Embassy Auditorium, with the keynote speaker of President Lars Bergman of the Stockholm School of Economics. After listening to Dr. Bergman’s lecture on the timely theme of deregulation.
H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria paid an auspicious visit to Japan in April 2005. As a guest of honour, H.R.H. graciously attended the Swedish National Day Ceremony at the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, on April 6, with Mr. Thomas Östros, the Swedish Minister of Industry and Trade. Sweden, together with the other four Nordic countries, i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway, participated in Aichi Expo 2005 with a joint Nordic Pavilion. President Hattori and Vice President Hornmark were invited to the reception in honour of H.R.H. Crown Princess on April 8 at the Swedish Embassy, where T.I.H. Prince and Princess Hitachi were pleased to graciously meet H.R.H.
The Society held a commemorative dinner party at the Nippon Kogyo Club on May 15, 2006, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of H.I.H. Prince Hitachi as Patron of the Society, with the auspicious attendance of T.I.H. Prince and Princess Hitachi. In his speech, H.I.H. Prince Hitachi graciously reflected the 25 years of pleasant memories. The Society presented a gift of Swedish linen tableware to express sincere appreciation.
During a buffet dinner, a video was shown of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s three-nation tour from April 29 to May 5 to Ethiopia, Ghana and Sweden. Mr. Koizumi is the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit Sweden.
T.M. the King and Queen of Sweden paid an official visit to Japan from March 25 to 31, 2007. The Society, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCJ) and the Japan-Sweden Foundation jointly held a welcoming dinner in honour of T.M. the King and Queen on March 27 at Happo-en with the gracious presence of T.I.H. Prince and Princess Hitachi.
2007 commemorated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl von Linné. T.M. the Emperor and Empress of Japan paid a visit to Sweden from May 21 to 24. Accompanied by T. M. the King and Queen, T.M. the Emperor and Empress visited the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm and participated in the celebration ceremony of the 300th anniversary of Carl Von Linné in Uppsala.
With the courtesy of the Scout Association of Japan, the Japan-Sweden Society members were invited to join the dinner to commemorate the 54th World Baden-Powell Fellowship Event in the gracious presence of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf, Honorary President of the World Scout Foundation, on October 5, 2007 at the Keio Plaza Hotel.
With the courtesy of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCJ), the Japan-Sweden Society members were invited to join a breakfast meeting with the Swedish Prime Minister, H. E. Mr. Fredrik Reinfeldt on April 18, 2008 at Happo-en.
2008 marked special significance in the scientific field of Japan. Dr. Yoichiro Nambu, Professor of the University of Chicago, Dr. Makoto Kobayashi of Professor Emeritus at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba and Dr. Toshihide Maskawa of professor emeritus at the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics at Kyoto University were awarded the Nobel physics prize 2008. Dr. Osamu Shimomura of the Boston University Medical School was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a fluorescent protein derived from a jellyfish that has become a vital lab tool.
The Society held the annual dinner party on Tuesday, 10 March 2009 at the Hotel Okura, with the auspicious attendance of T.I.H. Prince and Princess Hitachi. The two Nobel Laureates, Dr. Maskawa and Dr. Kobayashi, were kind enough to give Nobel lectures.
Mr. Masaru Ishii, who served as Director since 1991, passed away on September 27, 2009. President Hattori and many friends attended the funeral function on October 16, 2009 at Hotel Okura.