Events & Programmes Archive

What Lies Beneath The Intricate Representations of a ‘Dark Mind’ in Japanese Cinema 4 February to 31 March 2022   The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema is back for its 19th edition with an exciting showcase of Japanese films, most of which have only recently been released in Japan, and all of which intricately render their respective dark depths of the human mind. So, what constitutes an unfathomable ‘dark mind’ lurking beneath the surface in modern age Japan? Would the definition of it now be more diverse when the society we are living in is more complicated than before? Does such a psychological state add to an interesting cinematic story? From recently released contemporary works, to anime and rare classics, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2022 aims to answer these questions and demonstrate how films, seemingly different in tone and style, have the same facet running through them and that all ultimately deal in human darkness. From crime films to charming dramas, presenting an assortment of stories about people from different walks of life, this programme will showcase the cinematic voices and skills of both experienced and emerging filmmakers and aims to cater to the varied tastes of the UK audiences.

In this special online talk event, acclaimed artists Mohri Yuko, Takano Ryudai and Yamaguchi Akira will introduce their work and talk about Tokyo. Despite using different artistic media, ranging from woodblock printing to photography and installation, their art has similarly been inspired by the metropolis. How is Tokyo shown in their works? How has living in Tokyo impacted their practise? What does Tokyo mean to them? The artists are joined by curator Lena Fritsch, who recently included their works of art in the Ashmolean Museum's exhibition Tokyo: Art & Photography (running until 3 January 2022) which is supported by the Japan Foundation.   The exhibition is a celebration of one of the world’s most creative, dynamic and fascinating cities. Including works on loan from Japan and new commissions by contemporary artists, the show spans the exquisite arts of the Edo period and the iconic woodblock images of Hiroshige to photographic installations.           About the speakers (Moderator) Dr Lena Fritsch is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. She has researched Japanese art for over fifteen years with publications including Tokyo: Art & Photography (2021), Ravens & Red Lipstick: Japanese Photography since 1945 (2018), an English-language version of Moriyama Daido’s Tales of Tono (2012), The Body as a Screen: Japanese Art Photography of the 1990s (2011), and Yasumasa Morimura’s Self-Portrait as Actress (2008). Fritsch holds a PhD in art history from Bonn University, and also studied at Keio University, Tokyo.   MOHRI Yuko lives and works in Tokyo. She works on installations that detect invisible and intangible energies such as gravity, magnetic and wind. Her major solo exhibitions include: “SP.” (Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo, Japan, 2020); “Voluta” (Camden Arts Centre, London, UK, 2018); “Assume That There Is Friction and Resistance” (Towada Arts Center, Aomori, Japan, 2018). She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions such as: “34th Bienal de São Paulo” (São Paulo, Brazil, 2021); “Glasgow International 2021” (Glasgow, UK, 2021); “The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art” (Brisbane, Australia, 2018); “14th Biennale de Lyon” (Lyon, France, 2017); “Yokohama Triennale” (Kanagawa, Japan, 2014). She is also the grantee of the Asian Cultural Council for a 6-month residency in New York (2015) and the recipient of the Grand Prix, Nissan Art Award (2015); The 67th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists (2017). In 2018, Mohri, as East Asian Cultural Exchange Envoy, visited 4 cities in China.   TAKANO Ryudai is a photographer born in 1963 in Fukui. He has been engaged in his artistic practice on the theme of sexuality since 1994, in 2005 winning the Kimura Ihei Award for In My Room. Since then he has produced a number of works viewing the “down there” matter of sexual desire in the context of its relationship to the likes of identity and social norms, including How to contact a man, which explores the theme of sexuality in pornographic format; and With me, whose unguarded expressions of sexuality led to trouble with the police. In addition, Takano has produced series that question the notion of a hierarchy of value in visual representation, including the Reclining Woo-Man series of “unmarketable” body images; and Kasubaba, which captures very familiar yet neglected parts of the distinctively Japanese urban landscape. Since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011, Takano has been engaged in various projects on the theme of shadows.   YAMAGUCHI Akira (b. 1969, Tokyo) grew up in the Gunma prefecture and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts with a MA in Oil Painting in 1996. His work is characterized by a style of painting which uses the technique of oil painting within the traditional Japanese painting style. Known for painting bird’s-eye views of cities and battlefields, he traverses a variety of methods of expression including sculpture, manga, and installation. He has exhibited many shows both internationally and domestically. He has contributed public artworks in several locations including Narita International Airport and Nihonbashi Station (Tokyo Metro). He has also produced the official art poster for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.     Image credits: Yamaguchi Akira, New Sights of Tokyo: Tokaido Nihonbashi Revisited, 2012. © Yamaguchi Akira. Courtesy Mizuma Art Gallery. Mohri Yuko, Moré Moré Tokyo fieldwork, since 2009. © Mohri Yuko. Courtesy the artist. Takano Ryudai, Tokyo Tower (2011.03.11) from Daily Snapshots, 2011. © Takano Ryudai. Courtesy the artist and Yumiko Chiba Associates, Tokyo.

  In collaboration with this year’s London International Animation Festival, two Japanese animation creators, Atsushi WADA and Sarina NIHEI, whose works will be shown as part of the festival, will come and talk about their creative processes as well as the ideas and inspirations behind their productions. As award-winning artists, both WADA and NIHEI have been recognised internationally for their work. During this talk, you will be able to hear directly from these talented creators as to how they have continued to flutter their wings of imagination and crystalise it into the fascinating motion pictures.   The talk will be moderated by Alex Dudok de Wit.           About the speakers (Moderator) Alex Dudok de Wit is a journalist who writes chiefly about the art and business of animation. He is the Deputy Editor at Cartoon Brew, the most widely read animation news site, and an animation correspondent for Sight & Sound, the magazine of the British Film Institute. His writing has also appeared on the BBC and in Vulture, Little White Lies, The Telegraph, The i, The Independent, Time Out, and Index on Censorship. His first book, Grave of the Fireflies (BFI Film Classics), was published by Bloomsbury on May 6.   Sarina NIHEI is a freelance animation director from Japan. Being obsessed with Estonian animation, she decided to pursue a career in the field. She is a graduate of London's Royal College of Art. Her graduation film from the RCA, Small People with Hats, won prizes at festivals around the world including the Grand Prize at the 2015 Ottawa International Animation Festival, HAFF, and Best post-graduate film at the British Animation Awards 2016. More recently, her work has gathered the Special Distinction Prize at BIAF 2020 South Korea and Best International Short Film at Bit Bang Fest 2020 Argentina, among many others. Specialising in hand-drawn animation, she loves to make surreal stories.   Atsushi WADA graduated from the Osaka Kyoiku University, Image Forum Institute of Moving Image and Tokyo University of the Arts. He likes to portray comfortable movements and is always thinking about the Japanese traditional concept of ‘Ma’, the tension produced between movements. In a Pig's Eye (2010) won the Best of the Festival at London International Animation Festival, and the Best Film at Fantoche International Animation Film Festival. The Mechanism of Spring (2010) premiered at the Venice Film Festival and The Great Rabbit (2012) won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. His solo exhibition My Marsh was held in Yokohama Museum of Art in 2017 and in Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in 2018. A new game animated by WADA, My Exercise, was released in 2020 and a new short film Bird in the Peninsula is in production.   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here.  

  We are delighted to welcome Hidenori Okada from the National Film Archive of Japan for a richly illustrated talk about the history of Japanese film posters in this special free online event. While sharing the treasures from the Archive’s posters collection, Mr Okada will discuss the development of Japanese…

Nogakudo, or Noh theatre, is the place where Noh and Kyogen plays are performed and, as in an ordinary theatre, it has a stage, backstage and auditorium. Before the end of the Edo era (19th century), the Noh stage was usually set up outdoors but with the modernisation of society, many house-style Noh theatres have been built all over Japan. One of the oldest and most prominent theatres in Tokyo is the ‘Yarai Noh Theater’ (Yarai Nogakudo) which was originally built in Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku, in 1930 and reconstructed in 1952. In this online talk, in the lead up to the 70th anniversary of the reconstruction, KANZE Yoshimasa – the latest generation of the KANZE family that owns the Noh theatre – looks back at the historical transition of this cultural property, explaining some features of the theatre life that may not be written down in books. In addition, KANZE Yoshimasa, who authored two books on Noh costume, will showcase a few props and examples of attire which have been associated with the Yarai Noh Theatre, reflecting on the roles and programmes in which they are used. The talk will be followed by a brief discussion with Dr Alan Cummings, translator and senior lecturer at SOAS, University of London. This event will provide a very rare opportunity to get to know the life of one of the oldest Noh theatres and to take a close virtual look at the stage under the guidance of one of Japan’s distinctive Noh performers.   About the speakers KANZE Yoshimasa is a shite-kata (performer of the protagonist role) Noh artist of the Kanze school who has embarked on a variety activities aimed at countering Noh’s reputation for being difficult to understand and approach for contemporary audiences. These activities include forming the Kamiasobi (gods play) Noh performance group with artists of his own generation with the purpose of developing a younger audience and starting the Utai (Noh recitation) and Shimai (dance) group lesson program for amateurs at the Yarai Noh Theater where he was born and raised, again with the aim of nurturing new fans of the art of Noh. In this interview Yoshimasa Kanze speaks about his search for ways to keep Noh a living art in the 21st century. Dr Alan Cummings is a translator and senior lecturer in Japanese Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, SOAS, University of London. His academic research is in early modern Japanese literature and theatre, especially kabuki. Amongst his publications are a volume of translations of haiku and senryu, Haiku: Love (British Museum Press, 2013), and several translations in the Kabuki Plays on Stage series (University of Hawai'i Press).   This event is curated with Mu: Arts. Image credit: Shinji Aoki   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here.  

In this special free online event, Yuko Sekiguchi, former Editor-in-chief of Kinema Junpo and Variety Japan, will be in conversation with James Bell, former Features Editor at Sight & Sound and newly appointed Senior Curator of Fiction Film in the BFI National Archive, to discuss the historical and contemporary landscape of film criticism in Japan. Looking at Japanese film criticism through the perspective of Kinema Junpo, Japan's oldest film magazine, which began publication in 1919, Ms Sekiguchi will consider the role of film criticism in Japan, introduce the most prominent film critics and examine the history of the magazine in relation to the changes within Japanese film culture across the decades. The speakers will discuss Kinema Junpo's annual list of best films to investigate what films and filmmakers have been championed by the magazine across the years, and how Kinema Junpo's lists compare to the annual best lists published by Sight & Sound. Ms Sekiguchi will also explore the recent trends and debates in contemporary Japanese film criticism as well as the intersection with the wider film industry and film festivals in Japan. _________________________________________ Yuko Sekiguchi is a writer, editor and journalist. She has been the Editor-in-chief of Kinema Junpo as well as Variety Japan, the Japanese edition of American entertainment magazine Variety. She is currently serving on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Intellectual Property Strategy Department's Contents Licensing Council, the Agency for Cultural Affairs Subsidy Council, the Commission on Film Promotion of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the council on corporate patronage of the arts, the international film festival review committee, and as a screening juror for the Japan Arts Council film festival section of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Geijutsu Sensho. James Bell is Senior Curator of Fiction Film in the BFI National Archive. Formerly, he was Features Editor at Sight & Sound magazine, and Special Projects Editor at the BFI. In addition to his work in the archive and at Sight & Sound, he has been series editor of the BFI Compendium book titles, and regular programmer of the biannual BFI Southbank Deep Focus seasons. This event is a part of Perspectives from Japan: An Online Events Series. The series, presented by Japan Foundation and BFI Southbank, spotlights the other side of Japanese films. If you would like to attend this free online event, please register below by Thursday 4 November 13:00. A link to access the Zoom webinar will be sent to you closer to the event date. This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here. Deadline for the registration is Thursday, 4 November at 13:00.

Loosely categorised as oshigoto manga (manga about the workplace), depictions of working life are increasingly rising in popularity among the graphic story genres. Division Chief Kosaku Shima was one of the titles that helped the trend get off the ground, though its story primarily revolves around the office work and private life of a male protagonist. However, as the opportunities for Japanese women in workplaces have continued rapidly growing and their choice of work has become more diverse, the percentage of published oshigoto manga featuring female lead characters has become more prominent, with some titles inspiring TV dramas as well as films. Haruka’s Pottery, screened as part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2021 is one such example.   In this special online talk event, Prof MASUDA Nozomi from Konan Women’s University will introduce the recent trend and discuss how the image of working women in manga has developed, with particular focus on manga published for a female readership. Referring to some notable examples such as Nigeruwa haji daga yakunitatsu (The Full-Time Wife Escapist), she will also explore how manga authors reflect the existing issues Japanese women are facing in the workplace, in line with the passage of time and changes within the dynamics of the society, as well as what these women really wish for in their lives.   Following Prof MASUDA’s presentation, there will be a brief conversation with Dr Peter Matanle, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, School of East Asian Studies, the University of Sheffield.         About the speakers Prof MASUDA Nozomi is a Professor at the Department of Creative Media Studies, Faculty of Letters, Konan Women's University, specializing in media studies and manga studies. Her main research fields are media for girls, including girls' magazines and shojo manga. She has published a number of papers including the co-authored Manga Studies (2020, Jimbunshoin).   Dr Peter Matanle is a Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, School of East Asian Studies, the University of Sheffield. Peter specialises in the social and cultural geography of East Asian development and has published widely, with books, chapters, and articles in leading scholarly journals. His research includes articles on representations of men and women in the workplace in Japanese popular culture, in both Organization and Gender, Work & Organization. Access to his research publications can be found on his Google Scholar profile.  

  We are proud to partner with the British Film Institute’s most anticipated and ambitious Japan season. The first of two parts at BFI Southbank focus on the Golden Age of the studio system which includes KUROSAWA’s Throne of Blood and Yojimbo. Some of the screenings are already sold out. Enjoy the selection of Japanese masterpieces on the big screen! Special online talk event will be announced soon.

  Koji Yamamura, leading creator of Japanese animation (such as the Oscar-nominated Mt.Head, 2002) and regular contributor to the UK animation scene, including the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, returns to discuss his stellar career spanning over three decades. In a unique opportunity for our audience, and a first for the animator, he will guide us virtually through his studio in real time, showcasing his creative processes and methods. He will also acquaint the audience more closely with his body of work, introducing his newest films which will be accompanied by a full-length screening of his short animation film, Polar Bear Bears Boredom (7mins), and the trailer of his newest feature length work, Dozens of Norths, ahead of its world premiere in November. In conversation with film critic, filmmaker, and visual artist, Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi, this event will be an unmissable opportunity for lovers and aspiring makers of animated work to gain a first-hand practical insight into the workings of a successful animation studio.   About the speakers Koji Yamamura was born in 1964. During the 1990s, he was making films for children such as Pacusi, Bavel's Book and so on. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short, Mt. Head (2002) won 6 grand prizes and was selected for the 100 Films for a Century of Animation. Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (2007) won 6 grand prizes; in total, his films were awarded more than 100 prizes. In 2021, he has placed 2nd in the 25 top short animated film directors from the last 25 years. He is also active as a picture book author for Viva Vegetables (Oyaoya Oyasai), Parade and so on. He was awarded the Kawakita Prize and Education Award for Fine Arts in Japan and received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2019. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a sub-chairman of the Japan Animation Association and a member of the board of directors of ASIFA. Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi is a film critic, culture and sustainability reporter, screenwriter, filmmaker and visual artist. Chiara’s Material Puns use wordplay to weld the title of the painting with the materials placed on canvas, through an ironic reinterpretation of Pop-Art, Dadaism and Ready Made. Chiara works for online, print, radio and television and has been a jury member and collaborator of several film festivals. She is also a Professor of Phenomenology of Contemporary Arts at IED University in Milan.   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here.  

  Though you may be inclined to follow the famous adage of “Never judge a book by its cover,” for many centuries true bibliophiles and collectors have happily ignored these words, putting great value on publications with unique designs and special editions. Inevitably, what you see on the cover may be a decisive factor in choosing a book. In Japan too, the importance of eye-catching designs that push the boundaries of the publishing world and defy pre-set standards is tangible. Prevailing market demands encourage continuing developments in graphic design as well as typography with certain designs standing as artistic milestones that have influenced new generations of designers up to present day. Certainly, some book cover designs are not merely an accessory to the content but stand alone as artistic endeavours. In time for the Cheltenham Literature Festival, we have invited former editor-in-chief of the renowned Japanese design magazine IDEA, MUROGA Kiyonori, to trace the history of Japanese book cover design since the post-war period. As a writer and curator of graphic design and typography, MUROGA will select a handful of models and discuss why he thinks these symbolised new approaches in the field, considering points from both an aesthetic and technical view.     About the speaker MUROGA Kiyonori was born in 1975, Niigata, Japan. Former editor-in-chief of IDEA magazine. He has been editing books on graphic design, typography, and visual culture since 1999. His recent editorial works include Sakuji Hyakkei and Pixel Hyakkei (Graphic-sha, 2019). He is also an international critic, educator, and lecturer on graphic design. He has contributed texts to various publications and periodicals including JAGDA’s Graphic Design in Japan 2013 (Rikuyosha, 2013), Japan—Nippon: Poster Collection 26 (Lars Müller Publishers, 2014), Nihon bijutsu zenshu (Shogakukan, 2016), ggg books 124: Yoshihisa Shirai (DNP, 2017), Encyclopedia of East Asian Design (Sydney, Bloomsbury, forthcoming). He co-curated “The Study Room” of the 27th Brno Biennial (2016) and “Fragments of Graphism” (Creation Gallery G8, 2018).   Image credit: Photo by So Hashizume from Paper and Dummy Books exhibition at TAKEO MIHONCHO HONTEN, 2011   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here.    

In partnership with The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, we invite author KIKUKO TSUMURA for a live conversation with translator Polly Barton.   A 36-year-old, formerly burnt-out female office worker is the protagonist of Kikuko Tsumura’s There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job (2020). With well-established acclaim in her native Japan, Tsumura vividly captures the lives within Japanese society, especially of its young people. Though their comedic tone may make her works accessible and fun to read, you will soon detect the delicate trace of serious issues existing in Japan lying beneath the surface. In this online live session, Tsumura will discuss her creative world as well as take questions from audiences. Joining also is Polly Barton, an award-winning modern Japanese literature translator who has worked with a number of Japanese authors and who rendered There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job into English. She will explain how she reads this book while elucidating her translation process. Kate Griffin, Associate Programme Director at the National Centre for Writing will moderate the session. This is a follow up session to the recorded conversation with Kikuko Tsumura and Victoria Young as part of The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival and it is recommended to watch the recorded session as well. To watch the session, please click here. This online event is free to attend but registration is essential.   Special Thanks to Tuttle-Mori Agency   Please reserve your space here.    If you’re interested in this event, you might also enjoy: New Writing from Japan Broadcast: Mon 11 October, 7pm – 8pm (BST) Featuring Kikuko Tsumura and Keiichiro Hirano interviewed by Victoria Young and Suzi Feay. Free to view on Cheltenham Festival’s YouTube Channel More details here. Following the broadcast, it will be available to view free of charge at literature.cheltenhamfestivals.online Presented with The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival

    In partnership with The Times and the Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, we invite author KEIICHIRO HIRANO for a live conversation with translator Eli K.P. William. Date: Saturday, 16 October 2021, 1:00pm (BST) Prizewinning author and a prominent figure in the Japanese literary sphere, Keiichiro Hirano joins us for a revelatory discussion about his work and will take questions from audiences during this live session. As his books At the End of the Matinee and A Man demonstrate, Hirano is a rare philosophical writer as well as an accomplished storyteller, inviting readers to ‘bask’ in his novels forever, regardless of whether it is a love story or a psychological thriller. In writing, he consciously poses questions about the definition of life and happiness, reflecting not only Japanese society but also the global circumstances we are in. Joining also is Eli K.P. William, a British Canadian science fiction author who translated A Man into English. Eli will give us his views on the book from the viewpoint of a translator while elucidating his translation process. Kate Griffin, Associate Programme Director at the National Centre for Writing will moderate the session. This is a follow up session to the recorded conversation with Keiichiro Hirano and Suzi Feay as part of The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival and it is recommended to watch the recorded session as well. To watch the session, please click here. In the lead up to the session, you may also be interested in reading an English translation of Hirano’s short story, The Transparent Labyrinth, published by Strangers Press, which you can find here.   Keiichiro Hirano’s information https://en.k-hirano.com Twitter: @hiranok (Japanese only); @hiranok_en (English) Instagram: @hiranok (English only)   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential.   Special Thanks to Cork, Inc.   Please reserve your space here.    If you’re interested in this event, you might also enjoy: New Writing from Japan Broadcast: Mon 11 October, 7pm – 8pm (BST) Featuring Kikuko Tsumura and Keiichiro Hirano interviewed by Victoria Young and Suzi Feay. Free to view on Cheltenham Festival’s YouTube Channel More details here. Following the broadcast, it will be available to view free of charge at literature.cheltenhamfestivals.online Presented with The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival