Events & Programmes Archive

Japanese Animation Screenings in Wales! The Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival is back this year with a selection of the freshest animated works that Japan has to offer. For this edition, the festival’s run time has been split between two major Welsh cities – with the second leg of the programme being hosted at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre this month.   Image credit: ©Monkey Punch / 2019 LUPIN THE 3rd Film Partners

This project proposes a rediscovery of probably the most important female documentary maker from Japan, Haneda Sumiko (1926-), who was a pioneer female documentarist and one of the most prolific in post-war Japan. Haneda was one of the few women working in the influential Iwanami Productions where she participated in the creation of many short and long non-fiction works from the early years of the company between 1950s and 1980s and as an independent filmmaker until 2012. The project is the result of a collaboration of scholars working on Japanese Cinema from several angles -Gender Studies, Documentary Film, Film Theory and Authorship- who are joining efforts to cast light on this still under-researched female director. Programme: Thursday 30th September (All times BST)Online Symposium 09:00 - 09:10 Welcome. Fabio Gyi (SOAS JRC Chair). Introduction. Marcos Centeno, Irene González-López, Alejandra Armendáriz-Hernández, Ricardo Matos. 09:10 - 10:05 Professor Mitsuyo Wada-Marciano (Kyoto University). Making Meaning of Haneda's 'Japanese Women': A Women's College in the Village (Mura no fujin gakkyu, 1957) and The Cherry Tree with Gray Blossoms (Usuzumi no sakura, 1977). Moderator: Marcos Centeno 10:05 - 10:15 Break 10:15 - 10:35  Marcos Centeno (Birkbeck/UV Guest Lecturer Nanzan University) Haneda Sumiko's Transnational Cinema: Japanese Settlers in Manchuria 10:35 - 10:55 Hikari Hori (Toyo University) Documentary and the Intimate Sphere: Haneda Sumiko in the 1980s and the 1990s. 10:55 - 11:15 Discussion Moderator: Forum Mithani (Cardiff) 11:20 - 11:45  Screening the work of Haneda Sumiko. Notes on the circulation and distribution of Japanese documentary - Part I Working with Haneda Sumiko Pre-recorded conversation with Satō Tokue, filmmaker, Haneda Sumiko’s personal assistant, Manager of Kanatasha, Inc.. Interviewer: Irene González-López   Afternoon Session  15:00 - 16:00  Live Screening: Dedicated Treasures of Horyuji-Temple (Hōryūji ken'nō hōmotsu, Haneda Sumiko, 1971, 20min) Introduction: Alejandra Armendáriz-Hernández (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) 16:00 - 16:55  Anne McKnight (University of California, Riverside) Usuzumi and Eco-thinking Moderator: Teresa Castro (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3) 16:55 - 17:05  Break 17:05 - 17:50  Screening the work of Haneda Sumiko. Notes on the circulation and distribution of Japanese documentary - Part II Roundtable Alexander Jacoby (Oxford Brookes University), Irene González-López (Birkbeck) Moderator: Ricardo Matos (Birkbeck) 17:50 - 18:00  Closing Remarks    Friday 1st - Saturday 2nd October Online film screening: The Japanese Settlers to Manchuria and Inner Mongolia of Mainland CHina (Aa Manmo Kaitaku-dan, Haneda Sumiko, 2008, 120 mins). BIMI. Free but prior registration to the symposium is essenetial in order to access the film.  Registration This event is free and open to public. If you would like to attend the event please register. Please register via Zoom. Image: Kanatasha and Haneda Sumiko

We are delighted to announce that the 17th Japanese Speech Contest for University Students is open for applications!   This contest gives students the chance to make their voices heard in Japanese, and win some fantastic prizes! Finals Day will be held online, on Saturday 5th March 2022.   :: Contest Aims The main purpose of the event is to improve the speaking and presentation skills of students studying Japanese as a foreign language. Through this event, we hope to promote Japanese language learning at higher education level in the UK and Ireland.   :: Who can apply? The contest is aimed at undergraduate students who are currently studying Japanese as a foreign language at a university in the UK or Ireland. There are three different categories: 1. Speech Category:  For those studying a Japanese course aiming for the equivalent of JF standard C1 or C2 at a university the UK or Ireland including as an elective, optional or other university-based language course. Five finalists will be selected. Application Deadline: 8th November 2021 (15:00 GMT) 2. Individual Presentation Category: For those studying a Japanese course aiming for the equivalent of JF standard B1 or B2. Participants will give a PowerPoint presentation using Japanese. The aim of the presentation is to introduce a particular theme to the audience, for example a region, event, custom, etc. from the UK or another country outside Japan. Five finalists will be selected. Application Deadline: 6th December 2021 (15:00 GMT) 3. Group Presentation Category: For those studying a Japanese course aiming for the equivalent of JF standard A1 or A2. Participants will take part in groups of two to four students and give a PowerPoint presentation using Japanese. The aim of the presentation is to introduce a particular theme to the audience, for example a region, event, custom, etc. from the UK or another country outside Japan. Five groups which are selected to present during the finals day will be given a special award. Application Deadline: 13th December 2021 (15:00 GMT) *Details of JF Standard can be found here: https://jfstandard.jp/pdf/jfs2015_pamphlet_eng.pdf Videos from the 16th Contest Finals Day can be viewed here Please see the files below for the contest poster, FAQ, and application forms for each category: Frequently Asked Questions Contest Poster Speech Category Application Form Speech Category Rules and Guidance Individual Presentation Category Application Form Group Presentation Category Application Form  

A rakugo event is happening! This event includes performances by two rakugo masters: Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon receiver Yanagiya Sankyō, and Ryūtei Saryū, Yanagiya Sankyō’s apprentice and a master. There will be a lecture on rakugo traveling across cultures, an introduction to Japanese language education through kobanashi, and a kobanashi presentation by Japanese language learners. We hope you will enjoy rakugo and kobanashi during these two precious days! Download the event brochure by downloading the attachment at the bottom of this event! (Coming Soon!) Schedule (planned): 25th September (Sat) 15:00 to 17:40 ~ 26th September (Sun) Part One: 10:30 to 11:30, Part Two: 11:40 to 13:05 (all times are BST)   Format: Online (Zoom software) Sign up to this event by filling out the application form here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/rakugo2021/   Sign-up Deadline: 18th September (Saturday) ·    Speakers and Performers: ·         Rakugo “God of Death” ·         Yanagiya Sankyō Rakugo Performer Yanagiya Sankyō (stage name) is a Rakugo Master from Tokyo. He has been a Rakugo performer since 1967 and achieved Shin’Uchi Rakugo Storyteller Master status (the highest Rakugo rank) in 1981. Currently, he is the Permanent Director of the Rakugo Association. Yanagiya Sankyō was a recipient of the Japan Foundation Award in 2014, for his work incorporating Rakugo in the field of Japanese language education. In 2017 he was given the Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon by Japan. He has performed Rakugo all over the world, including in the USA, Europe and Asia. ·         Rakugo “Kanjou Box” ·         Ryūtei Saryū Rakugo Performer Ryūtei Saryū (stage name) is a Rakugo Master from Kashiwa City in Chiba Prefecture. He was an apprentice of Yanagiya Sankyō from 1993 and began performing Rakugo. He was promoted to Shin’Uchi Rakugo Master Storyteller status (the highest Rakugo rank) in 2006.  He has performed Rakugo all over the world, including in Europe. From 2013 he has been working as a part-time lecturer at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, teaching about Edo culture and Rakugo. ·         Lecture “Can rakugo be funny for any audience? (Tentative)” ·         Matilde Mastrangelo Sapienza University of Rome           Full Professor of Japanese Language and Literature Matilde Mastrangelo is full professor of Japanese Language and Literature at the Sapienza University in Rome. After graduating from the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples, she spent five years completing her studies at the University of Tokyo. In 1996 she was awarded a PhD in Far East Asian Civilisation by the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples. Since 2001, when she obtained a Fellowship from the Japan Foundation, she has studied storyteller San'yutei Encho, and especially his ghost stories, translating Botandōrō (The Peony Lantern) into Italian. ·         Dialogue “The Utilisation of Kobanashi in Japanese Education and its Practice” Kazumi Hatasa Purdue University            Professor at the School of Languages and Culture Kazumi Hatasa received his Ph.D. in Education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989. He started teaching at Purdue University in 1988, and is currently a professor in School of Languages and Cultures. He was Director of the School of Japanese at Middlebury College from 2004 to 2018. He has received the Foreign Minister’s Commendation in 2020. He has been working with professional performers to introduce students to Rakugo and Yose and to incorporate Rakugo and Kobanashi into Japanese Language education. Marco Di Francesco University of Oxford       　 DPhil Candidate, Area Studies (Japan) Marco di Francesco is currently studying for a DPhil at the University of Oxford in the School of Global and Area Studies, focusing on Japan. As part of his degree in Japanese Language and Culture at the University of Venice, he studied abroad at Waseda University and joined the university’s Rakugo research circle, where he discovered his interest in Rakugo. He is currently living in Tokyo for one year from December 2020 for fieldwork, exploring the state of contemporary Rakugo from a social anthropological perspective.  ·         Rakugo Explanation and Demonstration Commentary Kazumi Hatasa Purdue University           Professor at the School of Languages and Culture ·         Kobanashi Performance Event Japanese Language Students Performers: Students of Japanese from Around the World　 With: Kokusai Kobanashi Gōdō Happyōkai (KKGH) Global students are challenging themselves with kobanashi! ·         “What is Kobanashi?” A short, witty story. They are often told just before the main rakugo performance. Both beginners and advanced learners can enjoy learning Japanese while experiencing Japanese culture through the practice and presentation of short kobanashi. ·         “What is Rakugo?” The traditional art of one-man story-telling in Japan. A single figure sits in the traditional seiza style on stage and ensnares his audience only using a fan (Sensu), a cloth (Tenugui) and his own voice. Although many Rakugo stories are comedic, there are many types of dramatic stories.

  Kaga Yuzen is the traditional technique of dyeing preserved in the Kaga area (Ishikawa prefecture) of Japan. Diverging from the original version born in Kyoto and developed in its own unique way, Kaga Yuzen’s characteristic style is well represented by an elaborative creative process – mainly used in kimono textiles – from designing the exquisite pattern to hand-dyeing by skilled craftsmen for the last half a millennium. The application of the distinctive colours as well as the sophisticated dyeing techniques make Kaga Yuzen textiles exceptionally desirable art pieces and thus prized as a luxurious brand in Japan.   In this special talk, the Japan Foundation has invited MAIDA Hitoshi, a descendant of Maida Senga Kogei, to guide us through the intricate creation process of Kaga Yuzen by showcasing the work and the captivating workmanship of his workshop. In 21st century society, kimono may no longer be the prime attire for Japanese people, but MAIDA will also discuss how he, representing a new generation within the long-standing traditional artform, believes this beautiful craft could be sustained and evolve alongside modern life. The talk will be followed by a discussion moderated by Marjolein de Raat, a Japan Foundation Assistant Curator at National Museum of Scotland.       About the speakers MAIDA Hitoshi was born in 1974 in Kanazawa, Kaga Prefecture, Japan. As the third generation of a Kaga Yuzen dyeing family, Maida Senga Kobo (Maida Dyeing Studio established in 1932), MAIDA started learning the dyeing technique from his father in 1998 after studying architecture at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo. Since then, MAIDA has received numerous awards including the Japan Kogei Association award in 2018. While preserving the traditional Kaga Yuzen skills, he has challenged the development of the tradition and has been pushing Kaga Yuzen to a new stage, by displaying his works in hotels and fashion retail outlets such as Uniqlo in Disney World in Florida, U.S.A. Award-wining MAIDA is one of the most active craftsmen as well as a safe-keeper of Kaga Yuzen of the younger generation.   Marjolein de Raat is the Japan Foundation Assistant Curator at the National Museum of Scotland. She has an MA in East Asian Studies with a specialisation in Japanese Studies from Leiden University in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on cultural exchange between Europe and Japan in the early modern and modern period. In particular, she is interested in how this exchange is expressed in material culture, art, and fashion. In her current role, she works (amongst others) with the National Museum of Scotland’s collection of Japanese garments and textiles, studying the mutual exchange between Japanese and European fashion in the late 19th and early 20th century (Meiji and Taishō periods)."     In collaboration with IndigoRose Project This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here  

  JAEFF is Back in September!   The Japan Foundation is proud to be a partner for this year’s Japanese Avant-garde and Experimental Film Festival   JAEFF 2021: Bodies explores how we interact with other beings, spaces around us, and how expressions of the unutterable become vital means of communication…

  Japanese sounds have followed a different path in their use and development. Like the sounds of instruments from the West they play a part in the composition of melodies but, more importantly, Japanese sounds have lived along with us for a long time, existing for very specific purposes separate from music: for spiriting away and praying for peace. This use is particularly notable with many percussion instruments.   In this special talk, Prof MOTEGI Kiyoko, one of the leading specialists and researchers of Japanese sound (Oto), will introduce and demonstrate in real time some examples of Oto and the musical objects identified in Japanese life, discussing how these have evolved and have come to be associated with Japanese faith and culture.   After Prof. MOTEGI’s presentation, there will be a discussion with Dr Lucia Dolce, Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism at SOAS University of London, and Chair of the SOAS Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions.   These traditional instruments may be replaced by advanced technology which prevents disasters and pandemics. However, it is interesting to learn what our predecessors believed in and struck to pray for a better world, and how that mindset and customs still survive in contemporary Japan.       About the speakers MOTEGI Kiyoko is a musicologist born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1949. She graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and, following her work as a director assistant at the National Theatre from 1976 to 1981, she became a teacher of Japanese music. She is now professor emerita at Joetsu University of Education. MOTEGI is currently a member of the Arts Council Tokyo Evaluation Committee. She serves as an expert advisor and a selection committee member for the Japan Biwa Music Competition. MOTEGI specializes in the study of traditional Japanese music but is particularly familiar with the instruments of kuromisu music in kabuki, Buddhist music, and various instruments used in folk performing arts. Her major books include Japanese Traditional Sound Sources and Japanese Sake Brewers’ Songs.   Dr Lucia Dolce is Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism at SOAS University of London, and Chair of the SOAS Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions. Her work combines archival research and extensive fieldwork to explore hermeneutical and ritual practices of religion in Japan. She has published extensively, in English and in Japanese, on Buddhist traditions of the Lotus Sutra and Tantric Buddhism, Shinto-Buddhist combinatory cults and the visual dimension of religion in Japan.   Image credit: Photo used in top image by azusa-yumi   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here.  

You can find information on the programme as well as links to download an application form here: https://jpf.org.uk/whatson.php#1192 Are you considering applying for funding but aren’t sure about how to go about it? Do you have a project in mind but aren’t sure if it’s eligible? We would strongly recommend that you sign up to take part in our Online Seminar and Q&A session. During this one-hour session, a member of our staff will talk participants through the application process, and then open the floor to questions and answers. We want to make sure the application process is as easy-to-understand as possible. This session will be held twice on 15th September 2021 (Wednesday). 1. First Session: 13:00 to 14:00 2. Second Session: 18:00 to 19:00 We will be using Zoom software. Once you have applied we will send you information on how to join the session. If you would like to take part, please sign up 13th September (Monday). Apply for a place for Session 1 by filling out our Eventbrite Form here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/169614151493 Apply for a place for Session 2 by filling out our Eventbrite Form here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/169614665029 If you are unable to attend either session but are still interested in applying, please do not worry! We will be making a recording of the first part of the seminar (explanation of application process) and uploading it to our Youtube channel.

This online course aims to help teachers to improve and update their ICT literacy skills. Participants will be invited to be a member of our safe and friendly online learning community to work on carefully selected tasks at their own pace. There will also be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and receive guidance and feedback. Instructor: Dr. Tomohisa Yamada, SEINAN GAKUIN University Professor Course Type: Online (using Zoom and Slack software) Course Period: mid-October 2021 to late-January 2022 (approx. 3 months) Applicant Criteria: Japanese language educators in the United Kingdom and Europe. Please note that this course content is based on the previous course which was held between November 2020 and March 2021 - therefore, new applicants will be prioritised. Participation Requirements: Participants must have no issues with online learning and be able to participate actively in topic discussions. They are also required to grant permission for the Japan Foundation, London to use images, recordings, surveys, interviews etc for activity reports, evaluations, and future publicity. Course Language: The course will mainly be conducted in Japanese, but there will be English language support when necessary. Participant Capacity: 15 (approx.) Download Guidelines for Applicants (English) Download Guidelines for Applicants (Japanese) If you would like to apply, please fill out the online form below: Application Form Application Deadline: 20th September 2021 (Monday) Please be aware that this course is designed to take place with a small number of participants. The Japan Fiundation, London will evaluate applications to decide on who will participate. Please understand that we cannot answer questions regarding success or failure of your application. Schedule (planned): 20th September 2021 (Mon) Application deadline 27th September 2021 (Mon) Notification of application results; Request for readiness survey 4th October 2021 (Mon) Readiness survey submission deadline 15th Oct 2021 (Fri) Course orientation Mid-November 2021 Assignment 1 submission deadline Mid-December 2021 Assignment 2 submission deadline Mid-January 2022 Assignment 3 submission deadline Late-January 2022 Reflection and evaluations; End of course ceremony    Course Instructor: Dr. Tomohisa Yamada Professor at SEINAN GAKUIN University (Department of Foreign Language Studies・Division of Foreign Language Studies) Dr Yamada has an MA from the Institute of Education, University of London, and Ph.D. in Education from Hokkaido University. After working with the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies Language Centre and Saga University Exchange Student Centre and Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education/ Graduate School of International Media-Communication and Tourism Studies at Hokkaido University, he assumed his present post in April 2021. His area of research is educational technology and teacher education. As well as his research activities, he is actively involved in giving lectures and professional development programmes aimed at increasing ICT literacy for teachers of Japanese. He was awarded the Hokkaido University Excellent Teachers award (2014 to 2019). Among his key publications are “Practical Use of ICT (Second Edition)”, “Active Learning for Teachers of Japanese” and “Exploring and Reflecting on Classes in an Online Setting - ICT literacy for teachers of Japanese” (Kuroshio Shuppan). Message from the Instructor: Since 2020, due to Covid-19, our lives and our classroom classes have become limited, and I believe your classes have also been deeply affected. The upcoming course content is based on the previous course organised in 2020 and we will continue to focus on improving the efficiency of administration and teaching results. This online course approaches ICT literacy development from the following three perspectives: Making and Organising: A lesson on the efficacy of the creation of teaching materials, managing student grades and data management. Presentation: A lesson on what ICT literacy is necessary to present teaching materials to learners. Linking: A lesson on how to create a space outside of the classroom for teachers and learners to make connections, and how to use that space effectively. We aim to have participants in this course learn these points together and create a learning community which promote/value collaborative collegiality. I hope that through this network, the number of colleagues to whom you can express your “how do I do this?” will grow, and this network will spread from the United Kingdom to Europe.

  Japanese Language Local Project Support Programme September 2021-22 Institutions can apply for up to £3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which promote Japanese language education in the UK. We prioritise projects that fit into one of the five following categories: Category 1 - Newly Introducing Japanese into the curriculum Up to £3,000 for projects that promote the introduction of Japanese into the curriculum (or onto the main school timetable) at primary and secondary schools. This grant covers staff costs and the cost of Japanese language books. Projects may take place online or offline. Category 2 - Supporting GCSE or A-level courses Up to £3,000 for projects that support GCSE or A-level courses. Particularly, if schools/organisations require support to ensure a large number of candidates are able to take formal qualifications in Japanese, they will be able to maintain their project by re-applying the following year. This means organisations will be able to apply for up to a total of £6,000 over two years. (Please note that we do not supplement the salary of teacher(s) already hired by the applying organisation.) Covers staff costs and costs of Japanese language books. Projects may take place online or offline. Category 3 - Japanese clubs Up to £2,000 for organisations that newly introduce Japanese as an extracurricular activity or enrichment subject. In the case of schools, this is even if this is not within the school timetable. Covers staff cost, Japanese language book cost, origami cost and calligraphy cost. Clubs may take place online or offline. Category 4 - Projects that enable links between primary/secondary institutions and institutions of higher education Up to £3,000 for projects that strengthen connections between secondary institutions and institutions of higher education and create and/or strengthen networks among pupils, students, and teachers for the purpose of helping to promote Japanese language education in the UK. These projects can be aimed at both potential learners of Japanese and people who already are learning Japanese. This is a recently added category, so please contact us if you have any questions or would like to apply but are unsure as to whether your project is suitable. These projects may take place online or offline. Category 5- Purchasing Japanese language teaching materials and/or books related to Japan New/Special Category for This Application Period Up to £2000 for the purchase of Japanese language teaching materials and/or books, DVDs etc. that serve the purpose of teaching about Japan, Japanese language and/or Japanese culture. Please note that this Category is for applicants who ONLY wish to apply for these materials. If you are applying for teaching materials as part of a larger project (such as a club, or curriculum teaching), please select the relevant category 1-4. Applicants who successfully applied for funding for the 28th May 2021 deadline are able to reapply to this category. Applicants are able to apply to this category in addition to categories 1 to 4, with the maximum total amount eligible for both categories combined being £5000.  Materials purchased as part of projects in this category must not be given to students, however loans are permissible. Ideally, we would like these materials to be placed in the library of the organisation. Please note that to apply for this category you must fill out “Grant Application Form (September 2021) – Category 5”. The deadline for applicants for this Category is 31st October 2021 (Sunday). Please note that this is a different deadline than for projects in Categories 1-4/Other. All purchases and payments made for these projects must be completed by 31st January 2022 (Sunday) and Final Reports submitted by the end of February 2022.     Ø  The application deadline for Categories 1-4/Other of the September 2021-22 programme is 30th September 2021. Ø  The application deadline for Category 5 of the September 2021-22 programme is 31st October 2021. Download general information about the programme. Download the Grant Application Form (September 2021) – Categories 1-4/Other Download the Grant Application Form (September 2021) – Category 5Download the LPSP 2021-2022 Grant Flowchart.  

The first places which spring to mind when wanting to see a collection of Japanese artefacts in the UK may be museums or art galleries where many treasures related to Japan have been preserved. With the aid of current digital technology, cataloguing and displaying on a digital site is gradually becoming more common, making some objects available to the public even when they might not be physically exhibited at such institutions. However, it may not be well known that these are not the only places to appreciate Japan: palaces, castles, and manor houses – historical settings where Japanese art is naturally suited – can also provide an interesting insight into the unique heritage.   Thanks to the extensive research conducted by Yoshi Miki, Curatorial Consultant and Project Researcher at the National Museum of Japanese History, Japan, it has been rediscovered that those institutes outside conventional museums also have precious treasures from Japan. In this special talk (a follow-up to last year’s Up-Close and Personal: Curators’ Treasures event with five curators from various museums in England) we have opened our doors to a ‘keeper’ of palaces and castles in the UK. In addition, we have invited a specialist at a museum created from a private library collection in the Republic of Ireland. Together they will share their favourite treasures with you and help open our horizons to the new normal. Let’s see what they cherish!     About the speakers (Moderator) Yoshi Miki, Curatorial Consultant, and Project Researcher of the National Museum of Japanese History, Sakura, oversees the UK project “Research and Use of overseas Japanese artefacts and documents", funded by the National Institute for the Humanities since 2011. He co-curated a special exhibition "KIZUNA Japan Wales Design" at the National Museum Wales in 2018. A new special exhibition at Durham University’s Oriental Museum "Monogatari" is scheduled to open in January 2022. He worked for Museums in the US, Canada, and Japan before he became a Head of Curatorial at Kyushu National Museum in 2002-2006. He lives in San Francisco.   Susanne Gronnow is Property Curator for the National Trust at Erddig, a country house in Wales. This country house museum was once home to the Yorke family whose treasured possessions not only came from Wales and the UK, but from further afield too. In 2018, selected Japanese collections from National Trust properties were displayed in KIZUNA: Japan Wales Design exhibition at the National Museum of Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru), including a 400 year old lacquered coffer described as the first ever Japanese object known to have come to Wales. Susanne has also worked for the National Trust at Chirk Castle and Powis Castle.   Rachel Peat is Assistant Curator of Non-European Works of Art at Royal Collection Trust. She is responsible for the research and display of 13,000 world cultures objects in the British Royal Collection, which are held by The Queen in trust for the nation. These include Japanese porcelain, lacquer, metalwork, arms and armour, folding screen paintings and embroideries acquired by members of the British Royal Family since the early seventeenth century, which today furnish 13 current and former royal residences. Rachel is editor of Japan: Courts and Culture (published May 2020), the first publication dedicated to Japanese material in the Royal Collection. She is the curator of an exhibition of the same name at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, which will open in early 2022.   Mary Redfern is Curator of East Asian Collections at the Chester Beatty, Dublin. Mary previously worked with East Asian collections at the National Museum of Scotland and the Victoria and Albert Museum, completing her PhD at University of East Anglia in 2015 on the Meiji Emperor's tableware. Her publications include Art of Friendship: Japanese Surimono Prints and Tennō no dainingu hōru (Emperor's Dining Hall) written with Yamazaki Taisuke and Imaizumi Yoshiko. Most recently, she curated the exhibition Edo in Colour: Prints from Japan’s Metropolis, now open at the Chester Beatty.   This online event is free to attend but registration is essential. To reserve your space, please book your ticket here.     Image credits for top image: Fat tails of lucky mice, Utagawa Toyohiro, Japan, 1804. CBL J 1621.2. Chester Beatty, Dublin. CC BY-NC 4.0 The red japanned bureau bookcase found in the State Bedroom at Erddig, Wrexham, Wales. ©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel Samurai armour; Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021 *The objects included in the top image will not necessarily be included in the speakers' talk  

The UCL-Japan Youth Challenge is a prestigious annual summer school programme which has had a tremendous reputation and impact since 2015. Pre-university students from Japan and the UK attend a series of university-style lectures on a wide range of subjects by academics from leading UK universities including UCL (University College London), and engage in the UCL Grand Challenge Workshop. In 2021, the programme will be held online due to COVID-19 guidelines. Theme Through the past UCL-Japan Youth Challenge programmes, young students have been provided with opportunities to look into social problems, mainly through science and technology. This year, the cultural side of the issues will be highlighted and discussions of how art and design could contribute to solving those problems and developing the sustainable future will be held. For the full programme, please visit the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge homepage. Eligibility Non-Japanese sixth-form students residing in the UK, aged 15, 16, 17 and 18 years (Parental consent will be required prior to the event for under 18s.) Applications To apply, please complete the forms available here. All participants will receive a complimentary ticket for Hyper Japan Online and two UK based participants will be selected to for a free trip to Japan in 2022. There is no application deadline, though please note that spaces are limited. Date 3 August – 24 August 2021