BUH-BYE: Japan urges predictable, transparent Brexit ahead of visit by PM May.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura said the government would do its utmost to gather information on the Brexit negotiations, which he said remain “fluid”, as well as support Japanese corporate activity there.

He made the remarks at a government task force meeting on Britain’s exit from the EU.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Japan later this week to discuss Brexit, trade and defense with Premier Shinzo Abe. The visit is aimed at strengthening Britain’s relationship with key international investors ahead of the split.

Since the shock Brexit vote, Japan has expressed unusually strong public concerns about the impact of Brexit on the United Kingdom, the second most important destination for Japanese investment after the United States.

A “predictable, transparent Brexit” would be best for everyone. But according to a British expat I was speaking with yesterday, Brussels’ pettiness all-but-ensures a “hard Brexit,” and that British business are already preparing for just that. Perhaps it’s time the May government did as well.