MORI ART MUSEUM CHAIRPERSON EMERITA MORI YOSHIKO AWARDED OBE
Tokyo, November 7 2025,―Mori Yoshiko, member of the Board of Directors of the Mori Building Company (Minato-ku, Tokyo), and Chairperson Emerita of the Mori Art Museum, has been awarded an Honorary OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by His Majesty King Charles III. Mrs. Mori was presented with the award by Ambassador Julia Longbottom at a ceremony held on Thursday 6 November 2025 at the British Embassy in Tokyo.
Created in 1917 by King George V, the OBE is awarded by the British monarch in recognition of service in areas such as the arts, culture, science, and welfare.
The British Embassy in Tokyo made the following comment on Mrs. Mori’s award :
As former Chairperson of the Mori Art Museum and a member of the Board of Directors of the Mori Building Company, Mrs. Mori has positioned the arts and culture at the heart of one of Japan’s largest and most transformational real estate developers. The award of Honorary OBE is in recognition of her contribution to UK-Japan culture and education. Under her stewardship the Mori Art Museum has championed and supported a wide range of UK artists, and has helped to showcase the strength and diversity of British art to millions of people in Japan. Beyond the Mori Art Museum, Mrs Mori served for many years in a voluntary role as a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Arts, an independent charity that promotes art and artists.
She has also been a champion of international education, and her vision for placing education at the heart of cutting-edge urban development contributed to the establishment of the new British School Tokyo campus at Azabudai Hills, which showcases cutting-edge British design and leadership in educational innovation.
Comment by Mori Yoshiko
Allow me to express what a great honor it is to be selected for this distinguished award.
My involvement in cultural exchange between Britain and Japan for many years has included as Chairperson of the Mori Art Museum, and as a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Arts. Getting to know so many Britons with a passion for the arts has been a joy, and a huge part of what makes it all worthwhile. I confess I have been surprised to see so much stunning, cutting-edge contemporary art emerging from a nation that so values history and tradition, and profoundly impressed by the sheer depth and diversity of a place that can produce such work.
Looking back now, it strikes me that art truly is borderless. Faced with the looming prospect of an irreparably divided world, I believe art and culture can help connect us, and offer hope. I will continue to contribute in whatever way I can to Anglo-Japanese cultural exchange, while also working to bring together all those across the globe who love art.