Events & Programmes Archive

This is the concluding day of an international conference organised by the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC) and Centre for Japanese Studies, University of East Anglia (UEA), in association with the Global Exchange Organisation for Research and Education, Gakushuin University. The conference will identify challenges faced by the higher education institutions and museums in the UK and elsewhere in Europe where their research, teaching and collections concern Japanese arts and cultures, and will seek to offer solutions.

Yumiko Chiba will explore influential artist and theorist Jiro Takamatsu’s diverse career, providing a personal insight into the man behind such ground-breaking work

The Japan Foundation is delighted to support the first institutional solo exhibition of Jiro Takamatsu to take place outside of Japan, presented by the Henry Moore Institute. Comprising over seventy sculptures, drawings and documents loaned from collection in Japan, USA and Europe, the exhibition celebrates the work of this leady figure of post-war art, tracing Takamatsu's artistic practice through his exhibition history.

The Japan Foundation is delighted to support Mr Potsunen's Peculiar Slice of Life, a one-man show by the award-winning performance artist Kentaro Kobayashi. Following the show's sold-out run in London in 2015, Kobayashi will return to the UK for a limited run of this imaginative and magical show. Following the daily existence of one man, the mysterious 'Mr Potsunen', Kobayashi playfully combines mime-based live perfomance with film and projection in a story which is touching, eccentric and wonderfully funny.

In conjunction with the exhibition The Japanese House, Barbican present a screening of Yasujiro Ozu’s early comedy I Was Born, But, one of the few surviving examples of Ozu’s silent period filmmaking, featuring live piano accompaniment by Mie Yanashita and Benshi narration by Hideyuki Yamashiro.

Come and see the UK’s most talented young students of Japanese language at the Finals Day of the Nihongo Cup – the Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School Students!

Japan Orientation is a focused short course offered as part of the University of East Anglia’s International Summer School which allows students to explore the latest approaches to Japanese Studies. The programme will be  delivered by the University of East Anglia’s specialised Centre for Japanese Studies (CJS) and the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC)  and will concentrate on stimulating discussion with speakers who are leading researchers in the field of Japanese Studies, in culture, history, international relations, business, media and much more. The course is suited to those currently at university who are interested in Japan, East Asia and the latest approaches to Japanese Studies. Scholarships There are 15 Scholarships on offer for the Japan Orientation module, including  12 fully funded places for applicants from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), and 3 fully funded places for applicants from the UK and Europe (outside of  the V4 countries) Scholarship Deadline: 31 March 2017 For more information please see the website of the University of East Anglia.

Silent cinema was never truly silent. In Japan, silent films were accompanied not only by live music but also by Katsudo-Benshi. Providing live narration, on-screen voice acting and original commentary, Benshi became an influential and integral part of Japanese silent cinema. In conjunction with the Barbican's screening of Yasujiro Ozu's I was Born, But... organised as part of The Japanese House exhibition, the Japan Foundation is delighted to present a special evening exploring the art of Benshi. Following an introductory talk by silent cinema specialist Pamela Hutchinson, Katsudo-Benshi Hideyuki Yamashiro and Silent Film Pianist Mie Yanashita will perform a clip from Orochi (1925) recreating an authentic Benshi experience. As part of his illustrated talk, Yamashiro will discuss Benshi as a contemporary occupation as well as the unique appeal of Japanese silent cinema. This fascinating event will also offer a few audience members the chance to take to the stage and perform the role of Benshi under instruction from Yamashiro himself!

This June, Tokyo’s Kikagaku Moyo will be performing at various venues across the UK as part of their world tour. Catch this Japanese psychedelic rock band and their experimental EP “Stone Garden” on the following dates: 20 Jun 2017 - Moth Club, London http://www.mothclub.co.uk/events/2017/6/20/kikagaku-moyo 21 Jun 2017 - The Deaf Institute, Manchesterhttp://thedeafinstitute.seetickets.com/event/kikagaku-moyo/the-deaf-institute-manchester/1059625 22 Jun 2017 – The Library, Leedshttp://www.seetickets.com/event/kikagaku-moyo/the-library-pub/1058485 Fri 23 Jun 2017 – The Hope and Ruin, Brightonhttp://www.hope.pub/events/2017/6/23/kikagaku-moyo-in-brighton-supports

JF London are delighted to support this three day symposium at Goldsmiths, University of London, which will explore the changes accompanying the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The meeting will focus on existing research and interventions concerning the ways that global events have been accompanied by urban transformations and new forms of social (dis)advantage and exclusions, in different urban/nation-state contexts. What does the future hold for existing Olympic Cities? Are there ways of holding mega events which bring genuine benefits to cities and their citizens? How might the promises of ‘legacy’ be realised in more open and democratic ways? London, Rio, Tokyo Olympics is a three-day event including documentary film screenings, a photography exhibition, academic presentations, a London Olympics site walking tour, workshops and networking sessions. 

British Museum presents: Hokusai is a groundbreaking documentary offering an exclusive private view of the forthcoming British Museum major exhibition Hokusai: beyond the Great Wave. Filmed in Japan, the US and the UK, the film focuses on Hokusai’s work, life and times in the great bustling metropolis of Edo, modern Tokyo. Using Ultra HD video technology and stunning close-ups, the film will reveal the extraordinary detail in the work of Hokusai on the big screen – a real feast for the eyes! From the 4 June, the film will be screened at a vast number of cinemas across the United Kingdom. To find your nearest venue, please visit: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/hokusai/hokusai_cinema.aspx

Old Joruri, a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre which originated in the 17th century, is rarely performed outside Japan