It's crazy that we can't just use mtgox - a problem with UK banks being unwilling to wire the money?
No, I'm sure you can still wire the funds directly to Japan yourself but the fees are prohibitive unless you're wiring something at least semi-serious (>>1000 GBP say).
Barclays froze Mt Gox's UK feeder account (which accepted direct UK bank transfer payments) on 25 September 2012.