A Japanese academic has visited Ottery St Mary to see the retirement home of a British diplomat who was a key figure in late 19th-century Anglo-Japanese relations.

Sir Ernest Satow is better known in Japan than in this country, as he was fundamental in the drafting of a new constitution for Japan as its sovereignty changed. He is seen as hugely influential in Japan’s history.

After his retirement he lived at Beaumont House in Ottery St Mary, and died aged 86 in the town.

In early June the Ottery St Mary Heritage Society received an email from Ms Kaoru Yoshida from The Women’s University of Tokyo. Ms Kaoru Yoshida is an academic visitor at the University of Cambridge this summer and is very interested in Sir Ernest Satow. She asked if she could visit Ottery St Mary to visit Beaumont House and his grave in the churchyard. The society replied saying they were very happy to help, and the visit was organised.

Ms Yoshida stayed at the Tumbling Weir Hotel and was met there by Peter Shrubsall and Alison Sharples from the Heritage Society. Before visiting Beaumont House she was shown the Peace Bell in the Sainsburys gardens, which was donated to Ottery by the residents of Otari in Japan in 1993. In exchange Ottery St Mary Town Council sent them a traditional English church bell. This part of the visit was led by Richard Grainger, Ottery’s Mayor and Kerry Kennell, the Town Clerk.

Ms Yoshida was then taken to the museum where she saw the two videos about the town’s history.  Alison Sharples presented her with a memento of her visit in the form of a small portfolio of Heritage Society journal articles published about Sir Ernest Satow. She also met some of the other Heritage Society Trustees and volunteers.

The visit then moved on to Beaumont House where she was greeted by Mr John Ingham, the current owner, who showed Ms Yoshida the house and grounds. He is clearly very knowledgeable about Satow and the history of this special Ottery house.

Ms Yoshida was quite moved to be in the room where Satow wrote his extensive diaries, and enjoyed seeing some of the trees with a very Japanese theme that Satow had planted.

The final visit of the tour was to the church. She was greeted by Richard Coley who not only showed Ms Yoshida Satow’s grave but also guided her around the church and explained its history.

The Heritage Society said it had been ‘a real pleasure to welcome Ms Yoshida to the town and build on her knowledge of this hugely influential and revered British man in Japan’s history’.