Events & Programmes Archive

Shojo Manga – often translated as ‘comics for girls’ – is a genre of Japanese comic books which has a history spanning many decades in Japan

Now open for applications! This contest is open to students in the UK studying Japanese language.

Far beyond the global conception of hyper-modern Tokyo and the consumer wonderland of ‘Cool Japan’, the declining local regions of Japan have, in the past two decades, seen a flowering of startlingly ambitious contemporary art festivals that offer a response to the many crises the country faces today, bringing contemporary art installations, community projects and the latest curatorial trends to the most unlikely places. Fram Kitagawa, Director of Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and visionary art producer and curator, will speak about his life’s work at the heart of this uniquely creative social movement, and its impact on contemporary art and society in Japan. Kitagawa will outline his socially engaged and environmentally conscious vision of contemporary art that has brought hundreds of Japanese and international artists to the mountains of Niigata and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. He will be joined in discussion by the curator Jonathan Watkins, Director of Birmingham’s IKON Gallery, who has organised many pioneering shows of Japanese contemporary art in the UK. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A chaired by Adrian Favell, SISJAC and University of Leeds.

As part of BFI’s LOVE season, the Japan Foundation will co-present two screenings of Kenji Mizoguchi’s tragic tale of a forbidden love affair The Crucified Lovers (Chikamatsu monogatari). Based on a 17th-century play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the film tells the story of a young wife wrongly accused of committing adultery with her husband’s top apprentice, in an era when the punishment for adultery was crucifixion. Mizoguchi’s portrayal of the lovers' dilemma lead famed Akira Kurosawa to describe the film as "a great masterpiece that could only have been made by Mizoguchi.” The screenings of The Crucified Lovers will take place on 2 December 2015 (8:40pm) and 6 December 2015 (4:00pm) For more information, please click here 241 Ticket offer: To enjoy the BFI's 2 4 1 tickets for the screenings of The Crucified Lovers and others as part of the LOVE season, simply quote LOVEFRIENDS online, in person or over the phone. http://theb.fi/1N1oMaW

Public seminar on housing issues affecting young adults in Japan drawing on a range of sources including examples from television drama, art and architecture

The Japan Foundation presents a special film screening of Samurai Warrior Queens followed by a Q&A featuring Urban Canyons Executive Producer, Sebastian Peiter.The legends of the Samurai appear to be an all-male affair; but contrary to popular belief, Samurai women stood their ground in countless battles and castle sieges. Academic research from battlefield excavations in Japan confirms that almost 30% of uncovered fighters were female; proving the existence of the Samurai warrior women, whose dedicated and suffering remains one of the world's great untold stories.This film screening will tell the story of heroic female Samurai Takeko Nakano and her fight for her clans' independence in the final battle marking the end of the Samurai era. Through interviews, dramatic re-enactments, CG animation, original costumers and historical locations, the film will bring Takeko's amazing story of courage, tragedy and endurance back to life.Directed by John Wate, 2015, 52min

Can you speak Japanese? Are you keen to promote the language to young people around the UK? If so, the Japan Foundation needs YOU!

昨今、多くの日本語学習サイトやアプリが開発、公開されています。日本語教育の現場では、それらを活用したブレンディッドラーニングの実践が行われ、また、自律学習をサポートするツールとしても注目されています。そのような中、日々、続々と公開される新しい日本語学習サイトやアプリの情報をアップデートすることもままならなかったり、授業に取り入れてはいるけれど、更に有効な活用法はないかと試行錯誤を重ねたりされている方もいらっしゃるのではないでしょうか。 A large number of Japanese language learning websites and apps have been developed and released in recent years. In the field of Japanese language teaching, particular focus has been placed on the use of these for blended learning and as tools to support independent study. But with new Japanese language learning websites and apps coming out every day, it can be difficult to keep up. Many teachers want to include them in their classes, but finding an effective way to use them in activities can be hit and miss. 国際交流基金関西国際センター（KC）では、これまで日本語学習をサポートするサイトやアプリの開発を行ってきました。本セミナーでは、KCが開発したものを含め、有用なサイトやアプリを「文字学習」「語彙」「文法」「文化・社会」などのカテゴリ別に、KCでの活用例を交えながらご紹介します。セミナーの後半は、サイトやアプリを自分の現場にどう取り入れることができるのか、実際に触りながら、参加者のみなさんと意見交換します。 In this seminar, the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute Kansai (Kansai Centre), who develop websites and apps to support learners of Japanese, will demonstrate examples of how to use some of these helpful resources, according to the categories of “Kana and Kanji,” “Vocabulary,” “Grammar” and “Culture & Society.” In the second half of the seminar, participants will be able to discuss how they can use these websites and apps within their own teaching practices. Where: Modern Language Centre, King's College London, 170 Strand, LONDON, WC2R 2LS Participation fee: £5.00 for both BATJ members and non-membersLanguage: Japanese 日本語 CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE VIA THE BATJ WEBSITE 略歴：和栗夏海|国際交流基金関西国際センター　日本語教育専門員 About the Lecturer, Natsumi Waguri | Language Education Specialist, The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai 大阪外国語大学大学院言語社会研究科博士前期課程修了。日本国内の大学の非常勤講師、カザフスタン日本人材開発センター、国際交流基金マニラ日本文化センターでの勤務を経て、2013年より現職。現在、主にeラーニングの開発に携わっている。 MA, Osaka University of Foreign Studies. Part-time instructor at universities within Japan as of 2013, as well as working at Kazakhstan-Japan Center for Human Development and The Japan Foundation, Manila. Currently involved in the development of e-learning.                                                                                  

Artist and pioneer of installation and video art in Japan, Fujiko Nakaya will present her ghostly new workFogscape #03238 as part of this year’s Lumiere Festival. Working with UK artist Simon Corder, Nakaya’s installation will be on the river bank under West Façade of Durham Cathedral, conjuring up the spirit of St Cuthbert’s mist.

Master the dialect of Osaka and the Kansai regions of Japan! In this two-day Japanese Plus course, participants will learn the vocabulary and grammar of Kansai-ben; the distinctive dialect of Osaka and the surrounding Kansai area. Under the expert guidance of a native Kansai-ben speaker, you will learn not only how to speak this fascinating form of Japanese with confidence, but also the culture surrounding Kansai-ben and the special place it holds in Japanese society. At the end of the course, you’ll be able to wow all your friends and colleagues from Kansai with your new knowledge and proficiency in Kansai-ben! When: You can choose either the Wednesday Course (11th and 18th November) or the Thursday Course (12th and 19th November), 18:30 – 20:30. Where: Bloomsbury International, 8 Southampton Place, Holborn, London. WC1A 2DB Participation fee:  £20.00 (includes all course handouts). Advance booking essential. Course Level:  This course will be held in Japanese.  It is for non-native Japanese language learners with an advanced level of Japanese (JLPT N2/level 2 and upwards).  Click here to book your place About Japanese Plus Japanese Plus is designed for adult learners of Japanese interested in updating and refreshing their knowledge about Japan whilst practising their Japanese language skills in a series of evening classes at the Japan Foundation London. The course is aimed at non-native Japanese language learners with a Japanese level of approx.  JLPT Level 2/N2 and above. For more information and to read about past Japanese Plus courses, please click here.

In both Japan and the UK, housing policy has largely fixated on the goal of widening access to home ownership, underpinned to some extent with the ideology of asset-based welfare, or that home ownership can play a role as a supplement or alternative to state welfare by allowing families from all walks of life to accumulate wealth, and provide social security to ageing home owners. In Japan the promotion of home ownership has long been embedded in welfare provision, however recent social and economic changes have exposed weaknesses in this ideology. Two decades of post-bubble recession and housing price volatility have highlighted the vulnerability of housing asset values, creating barriers to turning real estate into cash to fund welfare needs. A construction based approach to housing has further devalued existing stock resulting in a huge surplus of 'akiya' or abandoned decaying housing, scattered across Japan. Widening social inequality, as a result of economic recession and neo-liberal policy reform has also limited accessibility to home ownership for some. In this special public seminar, Dr Misa Izuhara (University of Bristol) will critically explore the focus on home ownership in housing policy in Japan, and will consider the future of home ownership in Japan's ageing society, especially the challenges arising around using housing assets in later life in the existing social and market systems. Later Dr Izuhara will be joined in discussion by UK housing expert Dr Beverley Searle (University of Dundee) to take a look at the future of home ownership in Japan and the UK, and consider whether anything can be learnt from how the situation is developing in each country, both of which are facing challenges arising from ageing populations, economic recession, housing price volatility and the effects of neo-liberal policy reforms. Can promotion of home ownership be an egalitarian and inclusionary policy and provide social security for the elderly in later life? Or should alternative policies be promoted to make housing more accessible and affordable and a better fit to meet the changing demands of our rapidly ageing populations?

This year’s NEoN festival takes the theme North East of North Asia and explores digital works from across Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. The festival will showcase works by a number of Japanese artists including artist and musician Ei Wada, who will present the UK Premiere of a work commissioned for the festival, which will launch on the 12 November 2015 at the Visual Research Centre, DCA.