Events & Programmes Archive

We are honoured this year to be participating in Japan Society’s Sixth Form Japan Week. This is a yearly even for sixth form students who attend to learn all about Japan and its language and culture. Please note that this event will take place online and that it is open to Sixth Form students. If you have any questions, please contact The Japan Society directly. You can find out how using this link. The Japan Foundation, London will be running a language session on Japanese onomatopoei. --- Dokidoki! Express yourself using Japanese sounds. Date: Tuesday 1st December 2020 Just as in English, the Japanese language has many onomatopoeia, and thousands more to choose from! Japanese speakers use them regularly in their daily conversation to express and also bring to life, not only the sounds, but also emotions and actions of any given scene or situation. In this interactive workshop, led by the Japan Foundation, London, you will be introduced to the rich variety of Japanese onomatopoeia and the Japanese visual language, manpu, frequently used in Manga to convey emotions through signs and symbols alone. --- To find out more about this event, please visit this link.

  Tsumami zaiku is a traditional Japanese craft that enjoys a long history of some 200 years. By folding and pinching colourful pieces of cloth, the technique enables you to create day-to-day accessories, including ornamental combs and hairpins (kanzashi), with elaborate and intricate designs such as delicate flowers and birds. It is believed that the wife of a daimyo (lord) and her lady-in-waiting started tsumami zaiku as a hobby. Over the years, however, the craft has been adopted into the lives of society at large with many women matching a variety of these handmade accessories to their ceremonial kimono worn at annual festivals or on special occasions. Furthermore, in recently years, tsumami zaiku has become stylish in popular culture, appealing to followers of contemporary fashion in and outside Japan. With this in mind, we have invited YAMASHITA Tomomi, an official instructor of the technique, to lead a lecture on brief history of the artistry, describing how this handmade technique can be applied to and is enjoyed in modern times. She will then demonstrate the tsumami-making method, introducing the range of tools, techniques, fabrics, and explain the basics of fixing and assembling the piece so that you can create your very own design at home. Joining YAMASHITA is Cora Fung, a practitioner of tsumami zaiku based in the UK who has been fascinated by the craft. She will define her own attraction to the craft, displaying examples of her own work as a way to show you how inclusive this hobby is of creators outside of Japan. If you wish to craft alongside with us in real-time, we suggest you prepare for the session with the necessary materials listed below. Join us and bring your own tsumami zaiku idea to life, be it an ornamental hairpin or an early Christmas decoration! All ages and skill levels welcome.   Materials for a simple one petal demonstration: Woodworking glue 2-3 pieces of square cloth (about 4 cm). Fabric with bonds such as thin cotton is best. If you have some, tapered long tweezers. If not, there may be alternative instructions on folding by hand. Something flat to lay underneath the materials (for those who want to use starch glue). You can find out how to make starch glue by clicking here.   About the speakers YAMASHITA Tomomi is a Certified Instructor of the Tsumami Zaiku Association. She has hosted workshops for some 500 visitors from over 30 countries around the world. In 2019, she has also launched the ‘Tsumami kanzashi’ website to pass on the traditions of and information on tsumami zaiku. So far, the website has been visited by people from over 50 countries and can be found here: tsumami-kanzashi.com/ Cora Fung is a self-taught tsumami zaiku artist based in Sheffield. She has been practising the craft for three and a half years and has created a wide range of accessories and artwork. Apart from traditional subjects such as chrysanthemum and crane, she also creates modern patterns and objects such as angel wings, ocean waves, and umbrellas. She trades under the trade name Takara Crafts and her crafts have been showcased in various craft fairs and exhibitions in the Yorkshire area and Manchester.   This talk has been made possible with the kind assistance of Kayoko Tezuka, Tuning for the Future (TFF) in Japan. http://www.npo-tff.org   Please note that this session will be hosted on Zoom. To book your place, please click here.

  Yonkoma manga is one of a range of manga formats produced in Japan. As the direct translation of the name suggests, it comprises of just 4 frames in which a story starts, develops and ends. Although it may be relatively unknown overseas, this manga style has a long-standing history. Primarily associated with daily printed newspapers for many years, the characters featured in specific yonkoma often could become household names while the storylines tend to develop while reflecting social and political trends. In recent years, there has been a rise in more variation of content but the simplicity and conciseness in telling a story, reminiscent of Japanese haiku, remains the same. Following the yonkoma manga workshop we held in May 2020, the Japan Foundation has invited SAIKA Tadahiro of Kyoto Seika University to explain the characteristics of yonkoma manga and trace its history to date. SAIKA will also examine the way this classic format, which is embedded in Japanese culture, has evolved over time and in the context of changes in Japanese society, while introducing some of the new wave seen in the world of contemporary yonkoma manga.   About the speaker SAIKA Tadahiro was born in Wakayama, Japan in 1980. He completed his PhD at the Graduate School of Cultural Studies, Kobe University. SAIKA is currently a research fellow at the International Manga Research Center, Kyoto Seika University. His research interests include the social context in which manga is produced and the way in which the gaze towards manga artists has shifted with time. In addition to carrying out his research, he translates and writes articles on manga and also teaches at various universities in Japan.   Please note that this session will be hosted on Zoom. To book your place, please click here.

  RPG, or the Role-Playing Game, is a widely known computer game genre. Though it did not originate in Japan, for decades the passion for RPGs has been strong among its nationals. Japanese computer game creators have developed an abundance of unique RPG content which subsequently and uniquely have evolved into JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Game). Among these are the ever-popular Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles which secured their stable fanbase with the concepts of ongoing character growth and the evolution of storylines through battles. Games like these have managed to push Japan’s computer RPG industry to global success and continue attracting avid players. Interconnected with other media products such as anime and manga, JRPGs are also a source of drive in Japan’s commercial market. However, as the technology and user demands have shifted, Japanese creators may find themselves at crossroads and be compelled to revise the definition and existence of JRPGs in the 21st century where change is constant. In this very special talk, the Japan Foundation has invited TOKITA Takashi, computer game creator and producer from Square Enix to talk about the position of Japanese RPGs. Based on his own experience of being involved in the creation of many JRPGs, including Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, he will explain the philosophies that he believes are fundamental in creating an interactive game world where users feel themselves becoming the main character as they play, while revealing the creative processes of Japanese RPGs and how the games can stand the test of time.   About the speaker TOKITA Takashi is a producer in the computer game industry. Since joining Square Enix (Square) in 1986, after working on Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Legend etc. as a graphic designer, he developed Final Fantasy IV as a game designer. TOKITA has worked as a director on various titles including Chrono Trigger and Parasite Eve.   Special thanks to Square Enix and Kayoko Tezuka, Tuning for the Future (TFF) in Japan. http://www.npo-tff.org   Image credit: ©1991, 2017 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.LOGO & IMAGE ILLUSTRATION: © 1991, 2007 YOSHITAKA AMANO   Please note that this session will be hosted on Zoom. To book your place, please click here.

Instructor: Dr. Tomohisa Yamada, Hokkaido University Associate Professor Guidelines for Applicants At the Japan Foundation, London, we create and offer quality professional development programmes for educators in Japanese language education. This newly developed online course aims to help teachers to update and increase 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 a plenty of opportunities to ask questions and to receive guidance and feedback. Type: Online (using Zoom and Slack software) Event period: End of November 2020 to March 2021 Applicant Criteria: Teachers of Japanese who are currently employed by an educational institution in the United Kingdom or Europe. (We will prioritise applications from teachers working in secondary education in the United Kingdom) Participation Requirements: Participants must have no issues with online learning and be able to participate actively in topic discussions, as well as granting 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. Number of Participants: 15 How to Apply: Please fill out the online form below. https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/P0Z0E5/ Application Deadline: 16th November (Monday) 9:00AM (GMT) Note: This course is designed to take place with a small number of participants. The Japan Foundation, London will evaluate applications to decide on who will participate. Please understand that we cannot answer questions regarding success or failure of application. Please click here to download the Guidelines for Applicants Schedule (planned): -      16th November 2020 (Monday) – Application deadline -      20th November 2020 (Friday) – Notification of application results -      28th November 2020 (Saturday) – Course orientation -      December 2020 – Distribution of Lecture Video 1 -      January 2021 – Distribution of Lecture Video 2 -      February 2021 – Distribution of Lecture Video 3 -      March 2021 – Reflection and evaluations   Instructor: Dr. Tomohisa Yamada Associate Professor at Hokkaido University (Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education/ Graduate School of International Media-Communication and Tourism 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, he assumed his present post in 2012. 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)” and “Active Learning for Teachers of Japanese” (Kuroshio Shuppan). Message from the Instructor: In 2020, due to Covid-19, our lives and our classroom classes have become limited, and we have been forced to move online. Teachers are now urgently required to be able to use ICT. Not only focusing on improving the efficiency of administration and teaching results, but also looking ahead to the future of education, this online course will be formed of 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 for the participants a learning community which promote/value collaborative collegiality. I hope that through this network, the amount of colleagues to whom you can express your “how do I do this?” will increase, and this network that will begin in the United Kingdom will spread to Europe.   Course Coordinator: Yuko Fujimitsu (The Japan Foundation, London – Japanese Language Chief Advisor)

From the likes of the Super Mario series to the more recent Animal Crossing and e-sports, Japanese video games have been widely acknowledged as some of the best in business, attracting evangelical fans all over the world. Though ostensibly created with borderless content and universal characters, it is argued by some that Japanese video games are deeply embedded in and reflective of Japanese society. Their palpable spirit and philosophies may be understood as being sourced from Japan’s old traditions, even from well-known art forms such as haiku and the practice of tea ceremony. However, it is difficult to perceive at a glance how these seemingly unrelated pretechnological art forms and culture have influenced 21st century digital content. Inviting HIRABAYASHI Hisakazu, a video game journalist and analyst, this special talk aims to identify ‘Japaneseness’ in digital game content, analysing to what degree it has rooted from Japanese cultural as well as social history and to what extent it is indebted to old Japanese traditions. While illustrating some characteristics of leading game companies such as Nintendo, HIRABAYASHI also explains the future visions of these companies and game creators against a background of the recent evidence of a decline in the global share of Japanese games.    About the speaker HIRABAYASHI Hisakazu (Interact Co., Ltd. CEO / Game analyst) In 1985, after graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University, he joined the publishing company Takarajima where he worked as editor of a game specialty magazine. In 1991, he established Interact Co., Ltd., a consulting company specializing in the game industry, and started supporting companies entering the game industry. He currently works as a consultant of the game industry, a journalist, and a commentator on television and radio programs. HIRABAYASHI’s works include the book Gemū no daigaku (The University of Gaming) and Gemū no jiji mondai (Current Issues in Gaming). He is an editorial board member of Digital content white paper of Japan, as well as a board member of the Japan Game Culture Foundation. Image credit: Partial photo of retro Nintendo games by Nick Hamze on Unsplash Please note that this session will be hosted on Zoom. To book your place, please click here.

The Japan Foundation, London   Kobanashi Workshop for Educators – Kobanashi Performance Instruction Methods to Teach Japanese Language Learners Workshop Format：Online（Zoom software） Dates Time Number of Participants 30th October 2020 (Fri) 17:00 - 19:00（GMT Greenwich Meantime） 15 31st October 2020 (Sat) 15:00 - 17:00（GMT Greenwich Meantime） 15 Instructor：Dr. Kazumi Hatasa（Purdue University, United States of America; Chair, Dept. of East Asian Language and Cultures, SLC, Asian Studies Faculty). Guidelines for Prospective Participants：PDF Sign-Up Guidelines The application form link is included on the Sign-Up Guidelines PDF. We would like to ask prospective participants to read the guidelines carefully and then fill out the application form.  ※Sign-Up Deadline: 5th October (Monday), 17:00 (BST)

  Being an avid manga reader and a sport fanatic may seem to be mutually exclusive characteristics. In Japanese manga history, however, they have always been a good match and played well together in attracting manga fans as well as enthusiastic sports players. From tennis to judo, a huge variety of sports have been a source of inspiration for the ‘sports manga’ form of the graphic novel read by girls, boys, and young adults alike, and the genre has kept driving the market and readership forward. Certain works have gained huge momentum and have become a trend in Japanese society. The genre’s continuing popularity and influence is proven in the fact that many ‘sports manga’ titles have been adapted into other media such as film and animation. Prior to TOKYO2020 (postponed to next year), the Japan Foundation has invited YOSHIMURA Kazuma of Kyoto Seika University to talk about the inseparable relationship between manga and sports. Succinctly tracing its history from post-war to today, YOSHIMURA will discuss the position of ‘sports manga’ in Japanese culture and how its contents have evolved to reflect the time, society and people’s spirits, and indeed how the genre has managed to keep attracting Japanese readers, as well as manga artists, even while changing its shape.   About the speaker YOSHIMURA Kazuma completed coursework for a Ph.D. program at Ritsumeikan University. He currently serves as the head of the Faculty of Manga, as well as at the International Manga Research Center. His field of research is in the history of philosophy and manga studies. Yoshimura’s published work includes Manga’s Handling of Prejudice (2007), Manga Textbook (2008), Multiple Hiroshima (2012), ‘Chiran’ as a convenient manga experience – Media dynamics of ‘Authentic record on KAMIKAZE’ (printed in The Birth of Chiran, edited by Yoshiaki Fukuma, Makoto Yamazaki, 2015), and Osamu Tezuka – ‘the God of Manga’ fostered by unfavorable wind (printed in Intellectual History of Japanese People Vol.4 (2015, Iwanami Shoten).   Image credit: 原作／恵本裕子、脚色・構成・作画／小林まこと『JJM　女子柔道部物語』第1巻（講談社、2016年） ©小林まこと／講談社   Please note that this session will be hosted on Zoom. To book your place, please click here.

The Japan Foundation London and Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival have teamed up! We've partnered with Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, which is back this October to celebrate its 10th anniversary, on free, online and live screenings on their YouTube channel. Four screenings will be presented, with short film programmes featuring award winning film makers and emerging talents from various universities across Japan. Date: 24 and 25 October, at various times You can find the full programme by clicking here.   In addition to the free streaming of some of the most innovative and inspiring Japanese animation works, we offer you opportunities to virtually meet the creators behind them. From knitting to clay, you will see how versatile Japanese animation techniques can be.  All events listed below are free and take place online via Zoom. Join us in this creative hub, wherever you may be!   Knitting into Animation Online Talk with YATA Miho and YODA Takeshi Who could have imagined that colourful wool threads could be transformed into a cute and fun animation with lots of sheep! YATA Miho, a Japanese animation creator, mesmerized viewers when her work was streamed as part of the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival special in July.  Together with YODA Takeshi, composer and theremin player who performed the memorable music in The King of Amechau Country, they will talk about their creative processes and their sources of inspiration in this online talk. Their presentations will be followed by a conversation with Abigail Addison. Saturday, 24 October from 13:00 (BST) Book here.     Animation Workshop with ARAI Chie Online Workshop ARAI Chie is the creator behind the twinkling and friendly mascot of the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival. She is also an animator who created the festival’s opening animations and other short films. Her drawings are quite often seen in the form of flip books, and bring to mind a similarity to manga. In this workshop, she will explain where the idea for the cute character came from, illustrating step-by-step the process of her creation. Participants will be invited to join a brief session in which they can try and test their skill on paper to check their potential for being a future animator! Moderated by Shangomola, a London based manga artist. Sunday, 25 October from 12:00 (BST) Book here.     Clay Metamorphosis Online Talk with YUSAKI Fusako Having lived and worked in Italy, YUSAKI Fusako is an award-wining female creator and a pioneer of Japanese clay animation. Metamorphosing clay into a lively animation rich in colours defines her work and her philosophy: nothing remains the same. In this very special talk, in conversation with Robin Lyons – a producer of animation works and the Managing Director of Calon – YUSAKI will explore her long-standing career and how her life and work has changed shape like the ever-malleable materials she loves.  This is a rare opportunity not to be missed. Sunday, 25 October from 14:00 (BST) Book here.

  “Like the vastness of space, like a universe unlimited, untold, unattainable, and inscrutable- that is the woodcut.” – Shiko Munakata.(Munakata: the “Way” of the Woodcut, Brooklyn, Pratt Adlib Press, 1961)   Best known for his earlier phase of black and white woodblock prints, MUNAKATA Shiko (1903-1975) is one of…

‘Kimono’ is a word that has long been synonymous with the image of Japan and Japanese culture. Though it was once cast aside by modern women who viewed it as old-fashioned and impractical to wear, much appreciation is now given to the kimono, especially among the younger generation and global fashion designers who believe it is expressive and on trend. It isn’t the first time, however, that the kimono is at the center of attention; in fact an enthusiastic admiration of the wardrobe piece was demonstrated in western Europe in the latter half of the 19th century when various Japanese products such as ukiyo-e had spread overseas, and the ‘Japonisme’ whirlwind had taken over. For progressive artists such as Manet and Whistler, as well as innovative fashion designers such as Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet, the kimono was not merely a beautiful garment invoking exoticism, but an inspirational source for their creativity and, as a result, we are able to perceive its significant influence in their pieces. What was it about the kimono that mesmerized and captured the imagination of those artists? Celebrating the UK’s first comprehensive exhibition about the kimono – Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk – at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (running until 25 October 2020), the Japan Foundation has invited renowned fashion historian and curator, FUKAI Akiko, to talk about kimono as it was depicted in the latter half of 19th century and the intriguing relationship between the kimono and artists. Reflecting on the fact that its significance has been relatively dismissed in art and fashion history, she will explore what kimono meant to these masters and what they drew out of stylish, oriental fashion. The talk will be preceded by a brief introduction by Anna Jackson, the Curator of Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, and a brief conversation with FUKAI Akiko will follow her lecture.   About the speakers FUKAI Akiko Award-winning and renowned fashion historian and Director/Curator Emeritus of the Kyoto Costume Institute, FUKAI Akiko obtained an MA and honorary doctorate at Ochanomizu University and studied Art History at the Université de Paris IV (Institute des Arts et de l’ Archeologie). She has organized several major and acclaimed fashion exhibitions such as “Japonism in Fashion,” and “Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion” in Japan and overseas. She is also the author of multiple influential books including Reading Fashion from Pictures (PHP Institute, Kyoto, 2009), and Kimono and Japonism (Heibonsha, Tokyo, 2017) as well as Fashion (Taschen, Köln, 2002), of which 650 thousand copies have been sold so far. Anna Jackson Anna Jackson is Keeper of the Asian Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum. A specialist in Japanese textiles and dress, she has written widely on the subject and is the curator of the exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk and editor of the accompanying publication. Her other major research interest is the cultural relationship between Asia and Europe. In 2004 she was co-curator of Encounters: the Meeting of Asia and Europe 1500-1800 and in 2009 lead curator of Maharaja: the Splendour of India’s Royal Courts, which subsequently toured internationally.   Image credit: Mrs George Smith (partial cropped version), Frederic William Burton. Private Collection. Image: National Gallery of Ireland Last chance to see! The Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum will close on 25 October 2020. The exhibition is financially supported by the Japan Foundation.   Please note that this session will be hosted on Zoom. To book your place, please click here.

  Online Events in partnership with the Japan Foundation SAYAKA MURATA returns to Cheltenham Literature Festivalwith an Exclusive Recorded Interview followed by a LIVE Q&A Session One of the most celebrated of the new generation of Japanese writers, SAYAKA MURATA has won not only the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, but the Gunzo, Noma, and Mishima Yukio Prizes, been named a Freeman’s ‘Future of New Writing’ author, a Vogue Japan Woman of the Year and her novel Convenience Store Woman (trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori) became a global sensation. She returns with Earthlings (trans. Takemori), a shocking, wild and funny tale of a young woman who is convinced she is an alien and a powerful exploration of finding freedom from familial and societal expectations. In this special conversation she speaks with The New York Times Tokyo bureau chief Motoko Rich from her home in Tokyo and gives an insight into her literary life in the city.   Registration Information: (Please note that the LIVE Q&A Session requires a separate booking) Recorded Interview streaming at 10:00am (BST) - please click here LIVE Q&A Session starting at 11:00am (BST) – please click here   Online Event in partnership with the Japan Foundation  SAYAKA MURATA returns to Cheltenham Literature Festival   with an Exclusive Recorded Interview followed by a LIVE Q&A Session One of the most celebrated of the new generation of Japanese writers, SAYAKA MURATA has won not only the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, but the Gunzo, Noma, and Mishima Yukio Prizes, been named a Freeman’s ‘Future of New Writing’ author, a Vogue Japan Woman of the Year and her novel Convenience Store Woman (trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori) became a global sensation. She returns with Earthlings (trans. Takemori), a shocking, wild and funny tale of a young woman who is convinced she is an alien and a powerful exploration of finding freedom from familial and societal expectations. In this special conversation she speaks with The New York Times Tokyo bureau chief Motoko Rich from her home in Tokyo and gives an insight into her literary life in the city.