Events & Programmes Archive

Artist O JUN will share his thoughts on the evolution of his work and how this has been influenced by his time living and working in Japan and abroad

The next Japan Foundation/BATJ Early Summer Conference on the utilisation of ICT, blended learning and language pedagogy is taking place on 4th June. Online booking is now open.

This year’s London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), a biennale festival pioneering new forms of theatre and presenting spectacular performances, will present Miss Revolutionary Idol Berserker, a performance orchestrated by Tokyo-based artist and pop-idol Toco Nikaido. Featuring choreographed medley of dance, music, bellowed slogans and video clips, and paying homage to otagei (ritualised dancing and chanting by groups of fans), the performance captures Japan's unique subculture in all its multi-coloured, cacophonous, frenetic glory.

Sputniko! is a British/Japanese artist and designer who creates machines, robotics, music and video exploring issues surrounding technology and pop culture. A graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, Sputniko!’s graduation piece Menstruation Machine—Takashi’s Take (2010), a device simulating bleeding and pain to mimic that of menstruation in order to allow men to understand the experience, was the first of her projects which caused ripples in the contemporary art scene and was just months later exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Since then, Sputniko! has continued to produce playful and cross-boundary work examining technology of everyday life, critically speculating alternative futures for humanity and the world. A fearless artist able to go beyond ordinary thinking and now teaching at the MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts, United States, Sputniko! will introduce her varied artistic practice and themes for her adventurous projects. With a background in mathematics and computer science, she will also suggest how this unusual artistic upbringing influenced her work, and why she uses the field of critical design to deliver and communicate her dynamic ideas. Considered a pop personality in Japan also named one of Vogue Japan's Women of the Year in 2013, Sputniko! is without doubt one of the biggest rising stars in contemporary art who is continuing to change the course of female artists in Japan.

Have you or your children ever wanted to study Japanese but were unsure where to start? Why not learn a little Japanese together while learning all about Japanese dolls...and even make dolls of your own!

With gardening season having blossomed, Kei Ishikawa, a professional gardener who has extensive training and expertise in Japanese temple gardens in Kyoto, will give an illustrated overview of Japanese gardens.

Japanese artist Shun Ito is a multi-hyphenate artist whose career spans from performing arts to moving images

The Japan Foundation has invited three performers of classical Noh repertoire to introduce the pivotal sounds of this theatrical art. They will demonstrate the roles of their individual instruments and the vast array of expressions the music can convey in the performance.

The Japan Foundation is pleased to support a major new commission by Japanese artist Koki Tanaka held at The Showroom, London, which will be his first solo exhibition in the UK. Tanaka’s project departs from his interest in the local histories of The Showroom’s neighbourhood in Church Street, London. Through…

Are you studying Japanese on your own and don’t have time to go to regular Japanese classes? This event is for you!

In conjunction with his latest solo exhibition in London, contemporary artist Satoru Aoyama will give an illustrated talk about his medium and method.

There are a few spaces available on Term 3 of our popular Marugoto Japanese Language & Culture Course (Starter A1 Level)!