3 July 2014
The victims and survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011 experience prejudice and bullying from Japanese society at large, according to Professor Nobuko Kosuge. The root of this problem may lie in nationalism and the narrative of the atomic bombings in postwar Japan.
More info26 June 2014
The consequences of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami made this event the most expensive natural disaster recorded in the world to date. The Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) outlined key lessons following 2 years of recovery after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, involving topics such as tsunami hazard and risk assessment, the nuclear industry, post-disaster housing, urban planning and disaster mitigation, response and recovery.
More info24 June 2014
Since the end of the Cold War, Japan’s security environment has changed significantly. While, on the global level, the United States is still Japan’s most important security partner, the nature of the partnership has changed as a result of shifting demands from the United States, new international challenges such as the North Korean nuclear programme and the rapid rise of China. At the same time, Japan has been confronted with new, ‘non-traditional’ security threats such as international terrorism, the spread of infectious diseases, and global environmental problems.
More info17 June 2014
Based on the subject of physicality and topicality within the delirious metropolis, Toru Ishii’s first solo exhibition in the UK aims to achieve a hybrid of expression in elements such as the past and present and the digital and analogue. He challenges how traditional art can exist in this modern age, and attempts to find a new paradigm of art by employing long-established techniques. The artist was joined by Professor Lesley Millar, Professor of Textile Culture and Director of the Anglo-Japanese Textile Research Centre at the University for the Creative Arts.
More info3 June 2014
Since they first blipped and bleeped to life in the 1970s, videogames have become one of the most pervasive global cultural forms. However, while a diverse array of game studies books, journals, courses and conferences abound, they typically share one thing in common: they focus on Europe and the US. A game studies student might easily be forgiven for thinking that Japan played but a supporting role in game history, culture or development, and yet a game fan would likely revere names such as Sega, Capcom and Nintendo.
More info2 June 2014
The shared attitude of young Japanese artists in the 2000s was to turn elements of their surroundings, such as news, society, culture and nature, into tools that can be freely incorporated into their artwork. In a complex time when it is hard to understand current situations or social structures, this must be the process to form a new reality.
More info30 May 2014
Shuji Terayama (1935-1983) is known outside Japan mainly as the writer-director of Fellini-esque films such as Death in the Country and Farewell to the Ark. In his own country, it was his poetry that thrust him into the national consciousness at the age of eighteen. His experimental theatre troupe, formed in 1967, cemented his status as a leading figure in the boundary-challenging cultural ferment of the time.
More info28 May 2014
YOSHIKI, leader of X JAPAN and one of Asia’s most influential musical artists, is performing at London Royal Festival Hall on 29 May. The day before this, he gave a talk and mini recital at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation on 28 May, as part of our annual theme of “Power” to prove that music is the power that goes beyond country borders and reaches people’s hearts directly. No Japanese politician can attract the kind of crowds that YOSHIKI can.
More info20 May 2014
Based on the subject of physicality and topicality within the delirious metropolis, Toru Ishii’s first solo exhibition in the UK aims to achieve a hybrid of expression in elements such as the past and present and the digital and analogue. He challenges how traditional art can exist in this modern age, and attempts to find a new paradigm of art by employing long-established techniques.
More info15 May 2014
A Thousand Cranes theatre company was founded in 2006 by performer Kumiko Mendl and director Vicky Ireland MBE. Combining Vicky’s lifelong passion for children’s theatre and interest in Japan with Kumiko’s childhood memories of living there, they decided to create a company dedicated to bringing the many fascinating stories, artists and culture of Japan to young audiences in the UK.
More info13 May 2014
This book examines the Japanese culture of the Muromachi epoch (14-16 centuries) with Ikkyū Sōjun (1394-1481), a celebrated monk and poet, as its focal point. Ikkyū’s contribution to the culture of his time was all-embracing and unique. He can be called the embodiment of his era, given that all the features typical for the Japanese culture of the High Middle Ages were concentrated in his personality. The book also discusses in great detail Ikkyū’s religious and ethical principles, as well as his attitude towards sex, and shows that his rebellious and iconoclastic ways were deeply embedded in the tradition.
More info6 May 2014
The town of Arita in Saga prefecture is one of the most famous centres for Japanese porcelain. Dating its production back to 1616, it will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2016. The first porcelain from Arita that was exported to Europe in the 17th century was welcomed with enormous enthusiasm. The porcelain, having travelled across the sea to Europe, became more highly treasured than gold, and was exported to various countries, having a major influence on European art and culture. Shuko Noda, a garden designer, talked about his concept and objectives in introducing this historical ceramic ware into garden designs as a member of Team SAGA, an entry in the Artisan Division of the 2014 Chelsea Flower Show.
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