Past Events

18 February 2026

Daiwa Musubi Lecture 2026 with Rebecca Salter

On 18 February 2026, our Trustee Rebecca Salter, President of the Royal Academy of Arts, was joined in conversation by Mami Kataoka, Director of the Mori Art Museum, for the annual Daiwa Musubi Lecture, where they discussed ‘Arts and Leadership in Uncertain Times’. After discovering the extraordinary coincidence that they are both daughters of clergymen, the two speakers went on to a wide-ranging discussion of the demands placed on leaders in the arts world, in times which are not just uncertain but when the arts face rising political pressures.

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18 February 2026

大和むすびレクチャー

大和一番レクチャーは、今年「大和むすびレクチャー」と改称されました。2026年2月18日には、弊基金の理事であり、ロイヤル・アカデミー・オブ・アーツ理事長を務めるレベッカ・ソルターが、森美術館館長の片岡真美氏とともに、「不確実な時代におけるアートとリーダーシップ」をテーマに対談を行いました。両者がともに聖職者の娘であるという偶然の一致に触れた後、対談は、不確実性に加え、高まる政治的圧力に芸術が直面する現代において、アート界のリーダーに求められる役割について、多角的かつ深く議論が展開されました。

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29 January 2026

From Postwar Butoh to a Contemporary ‘Rebellion of the Body’

Dominique Savitri Bonarjee presented her book ‘Butoh, as Heard by a Dancer’ (Routledge, 2024), the outcome of a five-year embodied research project carried out in Japan. During this period, Bonarjee studied with first- and second-generation Butoh dancers and artists, as well as contemporary practitioners engaging with Butoh today. In her writing, she seeks to convey the sensitive somatics of these encounters. In this talk, Bonarjee reflected on how Butoh continues to inform her multidisciplinary artistic practice and introduce Butoh Mutations, an ongoing research project through which she develops new methodologies and pedagogies for imagining a contemporary and planetary ‘rebellion of the body’, inspired by the visceral activism at the heart of Butoh’s postwar emergence.

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28 January 2026

Translation and the borders of contemporary Japanese literature: Inciting difference

In this talk, Vicky Young discussed her monograph, ‘Translation and the borders of contemporary Japanese literature: Inciting difference’. The book examines contemporary debates on such concepts as national literature, world literature, and the relationship each of these to translation, through the lens of modern Japanese fiction. By focusing on so-called marginalised voices from within Okinawan literature and zainichi literature written by ethnic Koreans, and other “trans-border” works, this book reveals tensions and blind spots that serve to decentre the image of Japanese literature presented to the world in translation, while opening critical connections to wider questions of multilingualism, decolonisation, historical revisionism, and trauma that are so central to contemporary literary studies.

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22 January 2026

AI Governance and Policy in the UK and Japan

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a driver of transformation across industries and societies globally. This tool has the potential to influence the way we work, learn and play, as well as helping us to address some of the most pressing global challenges. However, a number of concerns remain to be addressed, including privacy, security, misinformation, bias and discrimination. In this webinar, the panellists discussed current AI use in the UK and Japan, as well as the regulatory landscape, key challenges, and policy recommendations that can benefit society as a whole.

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1 January 2026

AI

AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and is rapidly being adopted across a range of sectors – in work, in education and in our homes. As the development and adoption of AI tools continue, in this year’s Annual Seminar Series we examine the current state of AI, exploring how far AI tools have been adopted and integrated across various sectors, as well as the challenges involved, and what society may look like in the near future.

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27 November 2025

Is Abenomics Back under Takaichi?

Sanae Takaichi has become Japan’s 104th prime minister, and is the first woman to hold the job. Her economic policy emphasises large-scale fiscal spending and aggressive monetary easing. Both are reminiscent of Abenomics in their aim to boost economic growth; however, concerns about inflation persist due to the weak yen. In this webinar, Professor Noriko Hama will analyse the economic impact of Abenomics during the prime ministership of Shinzo Abe (2012–2020), and the potential impact of resurrecting the policy. She will also discuss the fundamental issues Japan faces, and suggest some responses.

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26 November 2025

Six Months of Dreaming – Fact and Fiction

In her most recent novel, ‘Six Months of Dreaming’, Cory was inspired by the chance find of fourteen necktie designs enclosed with a letter sent by Yutaka Kajikawa (an unknown young Japanese artist from Suita outside Osaka) to Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, who was visiting Japan on the first round-the-world Zeppelin flight in 1929. He hoped she would promote his ‘modern’ designs in the West. Although she did nothing for the young artist, Cory set out to imagine the story of what became of him. She also took his designs and reworked them into wallpapers, fabrics and scarves so that, ninety-six years on, he was granted the prestigious exhibition in central London he had so hoped for. In October 2025, Cory brought the book and exhibition back to Osaka as part of the Royal Society of Arts off-expo events at the British Pavilion, performing a one-woman show in a theatre in central Osaka entitled ‘Homecoming – the Triumphal Return of Yutaka Kajikawa’. During this book launch, Charlotte Cory will read extracts from her book and provide more insight into the project.

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18 November 2025

The Impact of Donald Trump's Tariffs on the Japanese Economy

Donald Trump’s tariff policies have been designed to bring manufacturing back to the United States and protect American jobs. Although the practical results in the US have been mixed so far, retaliation from trading partners such as China and the EU has hit US agriculture especially hard. The impact of tariffs and policy uncertainty has also been significant globally, including in Japan, affecting regions and industries in different ways, with some companies tending to benefit, but others getting left behind. In this webinar, moderated by Professor Hugh Whittaker, Dr Daisuke Adachi talked about the impact of the tariffs; potential trends; related challenges; and lessons for Japan.

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13 November 2025

The Housing Crisis in the UK and Japan

Rising housing costs have become a prevalent issue in many high-income countries, contributing to financial insecurity and social unrest. Whilst the UK presents one of the more extreme examples of this trend, Japan’s house prices have tended to remain low in comparison to other high-income nations. Nevertheless, this tendency no longer seems certain, especially in popular metropolitan areas such as Tokyo. In this webinar, Professor Jiro Yoshida unpacked the unique characteristics of Japan’s housing market whilst Dr Filipa Sá demonstrated how foreign investment has contributed to rising house prices in the UK.

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7 November 2025

Memories of War

This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II, which had devastating consequences for people in many countries. Despite this historical event providing many lessons, the world is once again experiencing a surge of conflict and war, with millions of individuals suffering. Often, individual and collective memories are not passed on, and may be forgotten. In this webinar, various panellists with different backgrounds will discuss how to pass on the memory of wartime tragedies to future generations.

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4 November 2025

Japan’s Security Policy in a New Era of Geopolitical Tensions

In the context of increasing global tension, the world has been experiencing a surge of conflict. Wars continue to rage in Ukraine and Gaza, while tensions in East Asia remain high. Where should Japan’s foreign and security policy be headed, at a time when the international order is being profoundly shaken by the United States, the now avowedly illiberal leader of the ‘free world’? In this webinar, Professor Nakano discussed recent security-related legislation, the expanding role of the Self-Defense Forces, the implications for Japan’s peace constitution as well as the principle of constitutionalism, and the effects of emerging right-wing populist political parties on political decision-making. He also shared recommendations for maintaining peace in East Asia at a time of flux and uncertainty.

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