Events & Programmes Archive

The Japan Foundation offices in Europe will jointly hold a teachers' seminar on the topic, ‘Hikidasu Nihongo - Activate Your Japanese!’ on 12th July 2025 (Saturday). The details of the seminar, such as the theme, date and time, are as follows. Please find the event details below written in Japanese. *Please note that information is only available in Japanese, as the seminar will be conducted in Japanese. Thank you for your understanding.    Theme: Zenbu Misemasu! "Hikidasu Nihongo Activate Your Japanese!"  Date/Time: 12th July 2025 (Saturday),  10:00 to 12:00 (CEST Central European Summertime), 9:00 to 11:00 (WEST Western Europea Summer Time) Application Deadline: 8th July 2025 (Tuesday) 23:59 Online Form      Enquiries:  The Japan Foundation, Cologne:  kurse@jpf.go.jp  (Japanese / German)  The Japan Foundation, London enquiries: events.japanese@jpf.go.jp  (Japanese / English) --- 日 時：　　２０２５年　７月１２日（土）  中央ヨーロッパ夏時間（CEST）10:00-12:00／西ヨーロッパ夏時間（WEST）9:00-11:00  講 師： 菊岡 由夏（ケルン日本文化会館 日本語教育アドバイザー）  ※「ひきだすにほんご Activate Your Japanese!」の制作者です！  内 容： 日本語教育コンテンツ「ひきだすにほんご Activate Your Japanese!」の 3 つのコーナーについて、開発の意図や実践的な活用方法をご紹介します。  ※ブレイクアウトセッションも設定しますが、主に講師から情報提供をするタイプの研修です。  研修会は日本語で行われます。  申込期限：　７月８日（火）23:59  https://forms.office.com/r/WAwvffin6a     【問い合わせ】国際交流基金ケルン日本文化会館 日本語チーム kurse@jpf.go.jp  事前課題  ❖「ひきだすにほんご」を見たことがない方は、動画を各 3 本ずつ視聴してからご参加ください。   「スアン日本へ行く！」 https://www.hikidasu.jpf.go.jp/jp/corner/drama/   「気持ちが伝わるオノマトペ」https://www.hikidasu.jpf.go.jp/jp/corner/onomatopoeia/   「津々浦々日本のセンパイ」https://www.hikidasu.jpf.go.jp/jp/corner/senior/   ➡「ひきだすにほんご」は 3 つのコーナー併せて 15 分で構成されています。3 本ずつ視聴すると 45 分 かかります。  各コーナーで視聴する動画はご自由にご選択ください。すでに「ひきだすにほんご」のコーナー を複数視聴したことがある、授業で使用している方は改めて見ていただく必要はありません。

In partnership with The Garden Cinema, we're excited to bring you a rare opportunity to see some of the best independent Japanese animation in recent years on the big screen, featuring an introduction from programme curator Alex Dudok de Wit! Anime is a global phenomenon. But there is much more to Japanese animation than the franchises and studio productions that get the lion’s share of attention. Filmmakers working independently, sometimes almost alone, are creating some of the wildest, most beautiful animation out there, as they experiment with artistic techniques and ways of telling stories. Clay waves that speak poetry, pointillist landscapes bursting with colour, a candid documentary about periods, an absurdist conspiracy thriller about small people with hats: the short films in this programme, all made by Japanese directors in the past 12 years, cover a dizzying range of styles and narratives.

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a test for non-native speakers of Japanese which evaluates and certifies their Japanese-Language proficiency. The test takes place twice a year (July and December) in Japan and various locations around the world. Currently, it is the largest Japanese language test in the world, with approximately 1.72 million people worldwide having registered for the JLPT in 2024. The next December JLPT will take place on Sunday, 7th December 2025. Registration will start at each test centre from early/ mid-August.   The December exam will be held at three test sites in the UK: SOAS University of London, the University of Leicester and the University of Edinburgh. For application opening dates and registration details, please refer to each university’s website using the links below (Please note that the JLPT is very popular and registration at each test centre will close when the test centre has reached its maximum capacity.): ×             Japan Research Centre, SOAS University of London ×             University of Leicester ×             University of Edinburgh Important Changes 1. Starting from 2025, examinees are not allowed to use mobile phones and other devices, including smartwatches and all camera and communication devices, until the end of the entire test, including during breaks. Examinees must turn OFF their devices until the test is completed. If the devices are turned ON during breaks, it will be considered misconduct and their test scores will be invalidated. 2. Starting in December 2025, the Exam Start Time will be earlier and registration will take place in the morning. Please check the new test schedule at your test centre’s website and make sure that you will be able to arrive on time to register. 3. CEFR Levels will be added as reference information in JLPT score reports starting from the December 2025 JLPT. For details, please check here.   For more information about the test, please visit JLPT website. Ø  Let’s Try Sample Questions!

The next July JLPT will take place on Sunday, 6th July 2025. Registration will start at each test centre from early/ mid-March.  Please check this page for any updates on UK test centres for the July 2025 JLPT. For application opening dates and registration details, please refer to each university’s website using the links below: - Japan Research Centre, SOAS University of London - University of Leicester Please note that the JLPT is very popular and registration at each test centre will close when the test centre has reached its maximum capacity. For more information about the test, please visit JLPT website.  - Let’s Try Sample Questions!  

Earlier this year, ChatGPT released a new Photo to Anime filter that turns user images into not just "anime" images but Hayao Miyazaki-inspired images. Controversially this filter quickly became one of ChatGPT's most popular image generators, while also being roundly condemned for the theft of Studio Ghibli's animation art. In this talk, we discuss how AI is currently reshaping the anime industry in Japan, and impacting upon one of Japanese animation's best loved studios. We consider how Japanese Studies can help us to unpack and understand this pivotal moment in Japanese animation history. The lecture will be one hour long, followed by a 15 minute Q&A Session with the two academics. Participants can enjoy asking questions about the lecture topic itself, or about research on Japan! This talk is open to the general public, and sixth-formers and undergraduate students are especially encouraged to join.   Speaker Profiles: Dr Zoe Crombie Zoe Crombie is Associate Lecturer in Film Studies at the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, University of Lancaster. She is an early career academic currently working on a monograph about Studio Ghibli’s transnational reinterpretations of Western literature through the Trailblazers scheme.     Professor Rayna Denison Rayna Denison is Professor of Film and Digital Arts at the University of Bristol where she teaches and does research into contemporary Japanese film and animation. Her books include Anime: A Critical Introduction and Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History along with edited collections like Princess Mononoke: Understanding Studio Ghibli's Monster Princess.  This event is free to attend but booking is essential for in-person and online attendees. To register, scan the QR code or click the link!   https://forms.office.com/r/i7VrJXAVDd Organised by the Japan Foundation London and Lancaster University

This July, we're delighted to bring you an enthralling one-off concert that blends KAWAI Ikuko's globally acclaimed, refined brand of classical violin performance with traditional Japanese accompaniment courtesy of shakuhachi player KOMINATO Akihisa and hand drum player MOCHIZUKI Satasuke. Set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of London's majestic Actors' Church, the trio will perform a variety of pieces, including KAWAI's original compositions that have enchanted audiences the world over. Make sure you don't miss this phenomenal fusion of Western classical and Japanese traditional music!

  Do you think your Japanese level is getting rusty? Why not study Japanese online to brush up your Japanese level? This course is for non-native-speaker-level Japanese teachers who currently teach Japanese in secondary and/or primary schools. You can improve not only your Japanese level but also your teaching skills. Moreover you can build a network among other Japanese teachers. Trainee teachers are also welcome to join. For more information, see below. Schedule: This course consists of Online Sessions and a Final Day event. The online sessions will be run in two different groups, followed by the Final Day event, which will be held for both groups together. Please select the group with dates that are suitable for you: Online sessions Group 1: Monday Group (online): 18:00-19:30 (90 min x 3 lessons) 30th June, 7th, 14th July Group 2: Mon/Wed Group (online): 13:10-13:55 (45 min x 6 lessons) 30th June, 2nd, 7th, 9th, 14th 16th July Final Day: Saturday 19th July at London Venue, 11:00-15:00 (TBC) Workshops in person and lunch reception. More detailed information will be given later. N.B. The course will take place online, but on the final day of the course we would like to hold a special face-to-face session, with special speakers as detailed below, and there will be a Commendation Ceremony. The Japan Foundation, London will provide lunch and cover your travel expense partly. * All participants are asked to pay up to £10 of their travel expenses out of their own pocket (no reimbursement). The rest of their travel expenses will be reimbursed by The Japan Foundation, London for amounts up to £100.00. If you need to travel the day before and stay overnight the night before the Final Day event, please consult us in advance.   Eligibility (any one or more of the following): Non-native-speaker-level Japanese teachers who teach at secondary and/or primat schools, including teaching extra-curricular activities such as school clubs. PGCE students who are aiming to become Japanese teachers. SCITT trainees/candidates  Suitable Japanese Level: JLPT N3 or CEFR B1 (if you cannot assess your own level, please contact us) Course fee: Free (including all handouts) Registration Deadline: Tuesday 24th June 2025 Languages used: English/Japanese (All handouts will be given during the lesson.) This course may count as 9.5 hours of CPD (TBC)   Course Content: Week 1 (online): Introduction, Review of GCSE higher specification Week 2 (online): Review of Grammar and Kanji Week 3 (online): Review of Grammar and Kanji Final Day (face-to-face) : Workshop   Course Objectives: To be able to teach GCSE higher tier confidently   About the Speakers at the Final Day Event Ms Fiona Pryce at Pearson Edexcel Fiona Pryce is a Senior Qualification Manager at Pearson Edexcel, with a portfolio of 16 GCSE and 15 A Level language qualifications. Fiona has extensive experience as an MFL teacher, teaching Spanish and German up to KS5 and French up to KS3. As a HOD she supported students taking additional language qualifications, including Japanese GCSE. She also ran a primary MFL business for 6 years. Fiona joined Pearson in 2022 and led on the development of the GCSE 2024 Spanish Edexcel and AQA course resources.   Ms Anne Rajakumar Anne Rajakumar has been teaching Japanese for over thirty years, in both Australia and the UK. She is the author of the successful Australian primary-level workbooks, Yonde Kaite, and has a website and Youtube channel which hosts a wealth of material to support the GCSE , A-Level and International Baccalaureate Japanese programmes. Until giving up classroom teaching in 2020, Anne was the Head of Japanese at Hockerill Anglo-European College and since then she has focussed on teaching online. For the past fifteen years making online resources to support 'Flipped Learning' in the classroom has been a major focus of her work, and she has integrated the use of online resources into her teaching (Flipped Learning) to great effect.   To register, please click here: https://forms.office.com/r/NW1CEFY3ma Further Enquiries: Ms Hiroko Tanaka:   Hiroko_Tanaka001@jpf.go.jp  

  We are proud to support this hybrid event organised by SOAS, University of London and the University of Oxford. The event will screen interview recordings of the Japanese diaspora in the UK, before a panel discussion, and a private viewing (for in-person attendees). The full event description can be found below. This event is free to attend, but registration is essential. It is an English-Japanese bilingual event. In-person & live streaming available.  Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/x8y6mXbdX8 Theme  All are welcome to the event! Who are we, living in different countries? What legacy did our predecessors and pioneers leave? How should we continue and renew it? Let us discover answers and directions through the panel discussion and public viewing of the Wasurena-gusa Project interview recordings of the Japanese diaspora in the UK.  https://wasurenagusa.org.uk/ Schedule:  14.40-15.00 Public viewing of interview recordings 15.00-17.00 Panel discussion  17.00-17.55 Public viewing and reception    Speakers (in alphabetical order)  Prof. Emeritus John C. Maher of International Christian University  Associate Prof. Laura Mark of University of Sussex  Prof. Emeritus Kazuko Miyake of Toyo University  Prof. Yoshiko Nakano of Tokyo University of Science  Mrs. Momoko Williams of Japan Association in the UK Padlet (for more information) https://padlet.com/nsperera/mobility-migration-and-transnational-communities-around-the--yi0hvpn3f1gl13cl   For any enquiries, please email: kaori.nishizawa@ames.ox.ac.uk   All welcome.

Originally, the Japanese tea ceremony (sado) was simply the practice of preparing and enjoying tea (chanoyu), but it evolved into a unique discipline that emphasised spiritual cultivation and aesthetic refinement. The form of chanoyu perfected by master Sen no Rikyu involved a small group of close acquaintances gathering in an intimate tea room to share food, sake, and tea while engaging in discussions about art and culture removed from worldly concerns. During the era of civil war, this practice aimed to rebuild human bonds that transcended social status. In the 17th century, with the restoration of peace, samurai tea masters such as FURUTA Oribe and KOBORI Enshu brought significant changes and diversification to architecture, gardens, and tea utensils such as ceramics, and both the boldness and the refined elegance of their styles continue to be cherished by many today. Together with the Japan Society, we are delighted to present a fascinating talk featuring KOZU Asao, a cultural historian specialising in the history of the tea ceremony, who will explore the evolution of chanoyu across three generations - Rikyu, Oribe, and Enshu - linked by a lineage of master and disciple.

We're proud to support the Southbank Centre's Hayward Gallery as they present the largest ever European retrospective of the works of NARA Yoshitomo. Known primarily for his powerful portraits, but also working across a variety of media, NARA's work explores themes including resistance, isolation, freedom, and spirituality. This new London exhibition promises to reveal a variety of enduring influences on this work, ranging from nature and mythology to punk music and popular culture.

Do your students have an interest in Japanese culture? Would you like to hold programmes for cross-cultural understanding at your school? A professional team from the University of Edinburgh and the Japan Foundation, London can visit your school to deliver fun Japanese language and culture sessions for your students. Teachers who wish to host a visit are encouraged to apply! It is free to apply for sessions at your school.  

The Finals Day of the Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK (JaLaChamp) will be held on Saturday 10th May 2025, at the Hall of Japan House London. JaLaChamp is a contest for primary and secondary students studying Japanese in the United Kingdom, and this is the third time for the contest to be held. It consists of two categories: a speech category and a video category. On finals day, speech category finalists will give speeches in front of a large audience consists of the panel of judges, teachers, fellow students and their families, on a variety of topics, entirely in Japanese. After speeches, there will be a premiere for short videos created by video category finalists using Japanese (there will be English subtitles). There will be an award ceremony for both Speech and Video categories at the end of the day. We would like to welcome friends and families of finalists, school members as well as young children who study or are interested in studying Japanese to attend finals day. The event is free but prior registration is required for security purposes. We would appreciate everyone except finalists to book a seat in advance. Title: Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK 2025, Finals Day Date & Time: Saturday, 10th May 2025   1pm – 4.30pm (TBC) Event Schedule (TBC): 13:00-13:50          Opening and Speech Category finals                                Short break 14:00-14:35          Video Category Secondary School Division 1 & 2 Finals                                Short break 14:45-14:55          Video Category Primary Division Finals 14:55-15:40          Special Talk and finalist programme                               Short break 15:50-16:30          Award Ceremony Venue: The Hall of Japan House London (101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA) Language: Speeches will be given in Japanese but speech summaries will be made available in English. Student videos have English subtitles. Please note that finalists should be registered via their teachers of Japanese (Link below is for non-finalists only). If your schedule has changed and you are unable to attend, we would appreciate it if you could cancel the seat by emailing us at speechcontest@jpf.go.jp, as spaces are limited. Young participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. Non-finalist registration will start in early to mid-April. Book here Enquiries: speechcontest@jpf.go.jp Organiser: The Japan Foundation, London This event is generously supported by (in alphabetical order): Calbee Group (UK) Ltd., E’quipe Japan, Ltd., The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Japan Centre, The Japan Society, JP BOOKS, Lingualift, Mizkan Euro Ltd., Pentel (Stationery) Ltd., Ricoh UK Limited This event is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese in the United Kingdom. The aim is to encourage the students to use their Japanese and present one’s thoughts, views, ideas and messages.