Events & Programmes Archive

This April we will be giving you the opportunity to see two of the most liked films previously shown by us, presented as a very special double bill screening

The next Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) will take place Sunday July 3rd

Aya Hanabusa is an award-wining documentary filmmaker and director of Tale of a Butcher Shop, featured in this year’s Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme. Hanabusa’s touching portrait of a family running a small butcher shop in Kaizuka City (outside Osaka) is a film which began being screened in an independent theatre in Tokyo and whose popularity grew through word-of-mouth. The documentary has now been seen by over 80,000 people worldwide. Following the film’s UK premiere earlier in February, Hanabusa will join us for a special talk to discuss her filmmaking style and the theme of Tale of a Butcher Shop. For those who were able to see the film at ICA and even those who haven’t, it will be a great opportunity to hear about documentary filmmaking in Japan as well as Japan’s indigenous culture which is explored in the film directly from the filmmaker herself.

Come and see the Japan Foundation at Language Show Live Scotland!

Cute, cuddly and resembling a baby seal, PARO is actually an advanced interactive robot designed to provide physical and emotional support to the sick and elderly.

Bunraku is widely thought to be the most sophisticated form of puppetry in the world. Originating in the 17th century in Osaka Japan, the complex performance involves the very delicate and intricate movement of puppets exacted by skilled puppeteers, beside the live music of the shamisen-kata (shamisen player), and overseen by the tayu (narrator), who recites the parts of distinct multiple characters. This classical tradition is one of Japan’s main traditional performing art forms alongside Kabuki and Noh, and was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003. Due to the refined arrangement and complex staging of this serious art form, Bunraku is rarely performed in full outside Japan, nonetheless The Japan Foundation has invited Kanjuro Kiritake III, one of the most revered modern Bunraku puppeteers, and a select few professionals from Japan’s Bunraku world performers to present the performance skills that they have spent a lifetime acquiring. Including two excerpts of well-known Bunraku titles “Hadesugata Onna Maiginu : Sakaya no dan ‘Osono’” and “Honcho Nijushiko : Okuniwa Kitsunebi no dan”, this event will also featuring a complementary talk explaining the three roles in Bunraku plays to give attendees a delicious flavour of this high-level stage art with exquisite dolls. 

A free one-day conference for networking and sharing ideas about bringing Japan and Japanese into schools.  The Japan Conference for Schools is open to schools or local authorities that are new to Japan work, schools implementing Japanese into the curriculum and those involved with partnerships in Japan, and schools looking to enhance or develop an existing programme of Japan-related study. The day will include a series of speeches and workshops on Japan-related topics. This will include a message from Baroness Coussins, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Modern Languages Group in the house of Lords. The day will also include topics ranging from information from Pearson about the new GCSE exams for Japanese, to calligraphy and sushi workshops, and even a demonstration of shamisen music. This conference aims to provide useful CPD for teachers of Japanese in both primary and secondary schools, as well as teachers who are interested in introducing Japan- related studies. When:  Monday 7th March 2016, 10:00am - 4:15pm  Where: The British Council 10 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2BN Open to: All teachers and local authority advisors Fee: There is no charge for attendance, but prior registration is essential (a link will be added here in the next few days) Lunch will also be provided. 

Network for Learning at Bath Spa University is running a Japanese language course for primary teachers. This Japanese Up-skilling course is a fun and interactive way of increasing your knowledge of Japanese vocabulary and confidence in pronouncing words correctly whilst, at the same time, learning practical games and activities that can be used in the classroom the very next day. You will consider how you can introduce cultural awareness into your teaching of Japanese and consider elements which would make up a successful Japanese cross-curricular day in a primary school. The course focuses on:- confidence in simple conversational Japanese; pronunciation; speaking and listening skills; writing Japanese characters; cultural awareness; cross-curricular themes; teaching resources currently available. You will leave with course certification to show future employers.No previous knowledge required.This course is funded by the Japan Foundation and is free of charge to delegates The course will run at Bath Spa University from 9.00-15.00: lunch and other refreshments will be provided. Further information and course booking here.

In a modern environment, life with a child necessitates different requirements and results. The nuclear family in contemporary Japan has seen a rise in working mothers and along with the decline of the childbirth rate, it is becoming increasingly important for a shift in perception as to what design and designers can offer in order to accommodate these sociological and localised changes. As such, Japanese product design reveals that designers are creating items not only from the viewpoint of the children that will be the direct users but also from the perspective of families living with the children. Shu Hagiwara, designer and advocate of design for children has for the past decade been dedicated to the grass-root project “kids, Goods and things” which offers a platform for designers to explore what is needed in busy households. In this special talk, Hagiwara will introduce his long term activities while showcasing the products and ideas that have stemmed from them, including designs which facilitate the development of identity, hand-eye coordination, and the strengthening of relationships with parents, siblings, and other children. This talk will also reflect upon some essential issues in modern design and how designers can be seen to be proactive promoters of social change by creating products that are not only user-friendly but also sustainable and lovable.

Japan’s rich literary history may be traced back to the 11th century with the masterpiece The Tale of Genji, a story considered to be the world’s earliest full-length novel. Ever since, many high calibre authors, such as Yukio Mishima, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yasunari Kawabata and most recently Haruki Murakami, have helped increase the presence of Japanese literature in the world. Amidst the success of such literary greats, a new, younger generation of Japanese of authors is also starting to gain international recognition and award-winning author Fuminori Nakamura is without doubt at the front of this movement. On the occasion of the Japan Now, an event focusing on contemporary writing, politics and culture in Japan (the British Library, 27 February 2016) the Japan Foundation is delighted to host this special talk by Nakamura. In conversation with journalist Paul Blezard, Nakamura will reflect on his rise into the literary world and introduce his work which has led him to be called the new master of ‘Japanese Noir’. Often featuring marginalised protagonists on the fringes of society, Nakamura will discuss his inspirations and process of creation, as well as overview the current situation of Japanese literature. With now four of his novels translated to English garnering praise internationally, as well as awards and film adaptations, Nakamura looks set to follow in the footsteps of many literary greats and this event will be great opportunity for booklovers to discover a new voice of Japanese literature.

Come along and listen to what university students studying Japanese in the UK have to say!

Japan Now is a day of talks and debate presenting literature, politics and wider culture of contemporary Japan and featuring writers and critics including Ian Buruma, Kyoko Yoshida, Takashi Hiraide, Fuminori Nakamura and Richard Lloyd Parry.   From the nation’s response to the Tsunami to writers’ fascination with crime and mystery, Japan Now will take the pulse of the contemporary nation, exploring its recent past and immediate future. The Japan Foundation forms partnership with Modern Culture for the contemporary literature strand as part of the event.