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Home of Scottish Samurai readied for Japanese guests

Home of Scottish Samurai readied for Japanese guests

Bosses of industrial giant Mitsubishi are due to land in Aberdeen on Monday to discuss the firm’s abandoned gift to the city of Thomas Blake Glover house.

The multinational donated the old family home of Glover – who is credited with founding the firm and indeed modern Japan – in the 1990s.

In Japan, Glover is lauded for his contribution to society, with about 2million visitors a year drawn to his old home in Nagasaki.

But in Aberdeen, the Balgownie Road property where the man dubbed the Scottish Samurai was raised remains abandoned and closed to the public.

The city council is working on plans to take over the running of the building from the Grampian Japan Trust, which could no longer afford to keep the building open as a museum.

A decision on the future of the property is expected at a meeting of the council’s finance and resources committee on February 20.

It is hoped that Mitsubishi will still contribute to keeping the Glover legacy alive, with hopes of turning the house into a nerve centre for economic development between Scotland and Japan.

Pete Clusky, from Mitsubishi, will meet councillors Ross Thomson and Willie Young to discuss any future role the company will play.

Conservative member Mr Thomson said: “We want to work with Mitsubishi and engage with them on the next phase for Thomas Glover House.

“It is disappointing that the house is in the state that it is in.

“Sadly, the last administration neglected it completely and we want to show commitment to what happens next. We want to show that we value it immensely.

“They have been very generous with their relationship with the site and we want to keep that going.”

Yesterday, Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone, convener of the cross-party group on Japan at Holyrood, announced plans to strengthen links between the two countries.

He said a strong bond between Scotland and Japan had the potential to deliver “substantial” benefits across the “economic and cultural” spectrum.

Mr Johnstone added: “We have excellent trading opportunities, two world-leading universities in the city, along with high-quality products such as golf and whisky.”