In March 2012 the British Council Japan launched the "RENKEI" scheme, a unique Japan-UK partnership to expand the scope of collaboration between universities and industry in the two countries. Building on a need expressed by institutions in both the UK and Japan, the scheme will enable twelve leading research-intensive universities to strengthen links with each other and with industrial partners in the areas of knowledge transfer, research collaboration and public engagement. The first activity run under the scheme will be a joint summer school for early career researchers in 2013.
You can find out more from the attached press release at http://www.britishcouncil.or.jp/ihe/archives/1644.