Events & Programmes Archive

We are delighted to welcome Professor Fusanosuke Natsume to give a lecture on manga in global society. The term manga originated in China; it was first employed in Japan in the Edo period (1608-1868). The most representative example of its use in Japan is Hokusai manga (fifteen volumes issued serially between 1814 and 1819 and then in 1830s and 1840s with the final volume appearing in 1878), however, the meaning of the word in the Edo period was not the same as the meaning of manga today. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), in response to the shock of western culture, the printing technologies, distribution and production processes were all modernized. Aware of its connections with Japan’s traditional culture, the word manga was redefined as a new genre. After that, under the influence of European and American caricatures and cartoons, manga, as a medium, came to include aspects of both. Today, when we use the word ‘manga’, in most of cases, we mean MANGA created after 1980s. Are the manga in Japan and manga read by a global audience the same? Or are they different? Known in Japan as a manga critic and columnist, Professor Fusanosuke Natsume teaches critical studies on manga and animation at Gakushuin University. He was awarded the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 1999. During the course of his career, he has engaged in debates surrounding manga as ‘anti-art’ seen many attempts to create exhibitions of manga, and explored the boundaries between manga in Japan and graphic novels, bande dessinée and comics from other parts of the world. This event is planned by the Japan Society in association with the British Museum and the Japan Foundation. To reserve your place, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996, email events@japansociety.org.uk or submit the online booking form.

Our annual Summer Explorers season is back as a summer treat - now with new venue and dates! From over the top, offbeat narratives of psychic teenagers and upstart political wrangling in a high school environment, to spectacular battles between good and evil, and stories of tender friendships, Summer Explorers 2019 showcases the range of plotlines that manga has provided film creatives over the years. Come and see the versatility of the influence that manga has had on Japanese cinema! Curated and Presented by the Japan Foundation.

‘20 years of marriage yet I can’t speak with my wife’ But the husband is desperate to communicate with his wife about one subject in particular – their mutually unfulfilling sex life. Inspired by the novella of the same name by renowned Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki, THE鍵KEY peers in on a secretive family and newcomer Kimura, as their lives take a dramatic turn following the husband’s new year resolution. Fresh from its sell-out Tokyo run, this site-specific, Anglo-Japanese work invites audiences to become voyeurs as they move freely around a private residence to eavesdrop on small ensembles of singers, a dancer, and Japanese and Western instruments as this intimate drama unfolds…  Produced by The Kagi Project in partnership with Japan Foundation.  Supported by Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) Music: Francesca Le Lohé Words: Francesca Le Lohé with excerpts from Junichiro Tanizaki's 'The Key’ in the original Japanese.   Please note: Capacity for this show is very small, however tickets may be released nearer the time when the rehearsal process takes place. If you wish to go on a waiting list please email info@tete-a-tete.org.uk with the date and time of the performance you would like to be on the waiting list for.

Our annual Summer Explorers season is back – this time taking place at the British Library! From over the top, offbeat narratives of psychic teenagers and upstart political wrangling in a high school environment, to spectacular battles between good and evil, and stories of tender friendships Summer Explorers 2019 : Manga Comes To Life – Live Action Japanese Film Based on Manga showcases the range of plotlines that manga has provided film creatives over the years. Come and see the versatility of the influence that manga has had on Japanese cinema! Click on the individual titles of the films in this year's lineup for screening details and ticket booking: Saturday, 27 July Inuyashiki Seto and Utsumi TEIICHI: Battle of Supreme High Sunday, 28 July TEIICHI: Battle of Supreme High The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (a.k.a. Psychic Kusuo) Inuyashiki

Do you like manga? Are you interested in language? If so, why not come join our free interactive session on Japanese used in manga on 27th July! We’ll be talking about the linguistic features of manga, such as the varied and ubiquitous onomatopoeia that appear in manga and how a character’s region, gender, age and more, influences their speaking style. Taking inspiration from the “Seto and Utsumi” film screening on the same day, we will also invite participants to explore the world of Kansai dialect as spoken in the film and its source manga. The Kansai dialect of Western Japan is very different from standard Japanese and is famous as the dialect of Japanese comedians and straight-talking, sardonic manga characters. This is a chance to learn about an aspect of Japanese that you won’t find in a traditional text-book and to get a glimpse of the regional diversity of the Japanese language.  As global interest in manga boomed, the genre has served as a window into Japanese life and culture.  This presentation will help people to better appreciate manga through deeper understanding of  the words used in manga and their cultural meanings. They say that manga is 50% images and 50% words, and we want to give everyone, from absolute beginners to fluent speakers,  a chance to dive deeper into the language used by manga artists and what it means. This is a relaxed, fun event and we welcome those with no Japanese ability all the way up to people fluent in the language: all you need to bring is an interest in Japan. For manga fanatics who are interested in the Japanese used in the medium, this is a definite must-attend. And if you are planning a trip to Western Japan in the future, why not brush up on your knowledge of the unique speaking style, values and sense of humour of the region? We look forward to seeing you at our event! Advanced booking is required: booking will open soon (booking website TBC) We will be running the same session twice: Session 1: 14.10-14.50 (40 min) Session 2: 16.20-17.00 (40 min)

Applications are now open for the Japan Youth Challenge 2019. Hosted at UCL (University College London), the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge (UJYC) brings together pre-university students from the UK and Japan in a 10-day summer school programme, as well as various public events.

Discover the amazing family of the Hertford Museum founders and their fascinating lives amongst the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido, North Japan. The Japan Foundation is proud to support this exhibition's telling of the story of Missionary John Batchelor, his wife Louisa, her brother Walter Andrews, Bishop of Hokkaido, and the inimitable Chief Penri of Piratori. Illustrated by fantastic Japanese items from the museum's own collections as well as examples of Ainu culture loaned by the British Museum. 

Shinichi Ishizuka is an award-winning manga artist who uses his personal experiences and pursuits to inspire the subject matter of his works. Together with his editor, Katsuki Dai (who has edited a number of manga magazines and worked with top manga artists), Ishizuka has created a wildly popular graphic series BLUE GIANT and BLUE GIANT SUPREME.  The series centers around a young saxophonist and his passion for jazz, as modelled on Ishizuka’s own familiarity with the instrument. In celebration of the Citi exhibition Manga at the British Museum (23 May – 26 August 2019), the Japan Foundation is proud to partner with Asia House for their event welcoming Ishizuka and Dai who will discuss the challenges and pleasures in creating a story manga and explore how integral the depiction of sound is in the series. The discussion will include insights into the collaborative processes and relationship of the artist and editor in the creation of story manga. The moderator for the evening will be Professor Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, IFAC Handa Curator in Japanese Arts at the British Museum and lead curator of the Manga exhibition. This event is held in collaboration with the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, The British Museum, and supported by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

The Japan Foundation is proud to be supporting the appearance of Kaku Hiyashi at International Ceramics Festival. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1978, she quickly rose to become one of Japan's leading ceramicists. In 1997 she was awarded the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Grand Prize. Currently she is an Honorary Professor of Bunsei University.  Hiyashi she creates large scale sculptures using kan-taro, a clay infused with volcanic glass that she jointly developed. Her work focuses on circular forms that reflect on the cycle of life and death. 

One of the most renowned fashion designers of our time joins us for an exclusive talk. Best known for era-defining designs for David Bowie on the 1972 Ziggy Stardust and 1973 Aladdin Sane tours, Kansai Yamamoto’s collections developed a following among the most iconic names in pop culture. In this special talk, for which the Japan Foundation is proud to partner with V&A Dundee, the seminal designer will discuss his notable career, his motto of ‘more is more’, and the concept of costumes as a medium for liberated expression of identity. Yamamoto will reveal the inspirations behind his design philosophy and how he draws on the art history of Japan to produce his elaborate creations. Rejecting the visual stereotype of Japanese minimalism (wabi-sabi), and embracing the aesthetics of basara, a love of colour and stylish extravagance, Yamamoto’s avant-garde, theatrically decorative and abstract designs are instantly recognisable for their recurring features such as Asiatic prints and sculptural forms. His influence continues to inspire today’s most cutting edge designers and leading fashion houses, from Nicholas Ghesquiere to Gucci and Valentino.  

On Wednesday 3rd of July, Year 5 pupils from various schools in Leicestershire will take part in a day of sports and Japanese culture to celebrate the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. As part of the Leicestershire Young Ambassador Japan Conference, the children will enjoy Japanese radio exercises, taiko drumming, Japanese lessons, origami, haiku, dancing and MORE! The children will also get a chance to meet a real-life Paralympian: Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team member, Nick Cummins, and his coach Rob Tarr.      It promises to be a fantastic day highlighting the links between sports and culture. Stay tuned for our report from the event!

Nobuko Tsuchiya is a Japanese artist best recognized for her eclectic sculptures, seemingly freely assembled almost entirely out of discarded scraps of familiar household objects such as plastic tubing, disused cables, mop buckets and even a disused bath tub. Having studied art at the Accademia di Belle Arte in Florence and Goldsmiths, University of London, she has since exhibited internationally, with her first major show at the 50th Venice Biennale, and most recently with Roppongi Crossing 2019 at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. In conjunction with her solo exhibition at the Leeds Art Gallery as part of Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019 which the Japan Foundation proudly supports, Nobuko Tsuchiya will reveal what particular elements of an everyday object attract her when putting together her pieces, as well as her process in unlocking the potential of an object as a storyteller. She will also talk about her journey to the international stage of art, explaining what she wishes to convey when turning her objects into enigmatic sculptures.