It is not uncommon for a third person to be present when you sit down to interview a dignitary. Most often this is a special adviser or press secretary. Occasionally it is a deputy. It might be a translator.
In the case of Hiroshi Suzuki, the ambassador of Japan to the UK, things are a little different. “We’ll put Paddington here,” he says, gently placing an eight-inch soft-toy version of the ubiquitous bear on a gilded armchair in his Kensington residence. He will remain there, a silent reminder that Suzuki is not your average diplomat.
Read the full interview here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/12/japanese-ambassador-uk-cultural-power/
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