Past Events

14 March 2014

Compact and Adaptive – Towards Sustainable Design

Architecture is responsible for about 45% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, but how can this be changed? This event highlighted the new trends of “compact” and “adaptive” design in the UK and contrasts their novelty here with their history in Japan, where they are more firmly embedded into the culture and design thinking. The speakers discussed how living space can be “compact” but rich, inspired by the classic scale and order of a Japanese house, which is combined with advanced concepts and technologies.

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11 March 2014

Japan and China: Through Journalists’ Eyes

Along with the impact of social media, today’s international relations are enormously influenced by how journalists cover stories and how they portray different countries. With that in mind, this seminar looked at how Japan and China and the relations between them have been discussed recently by journalists, and why.

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10 March 2014

Energy and Climate Change Policy: How is it influenced by the Business Sector?

Securing energy is a life and death issue for the economic activities of any nation, while climate change is a shared concern for both developed and developing countries. State policies relating to energy and climate change can have a massive influence on a country’s business sector, but the business sector can also influence these policies. This seminar examined what steps are being taken by the business sectors in the UK and Japan to address these concerns.

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25 February 2014

Report From Fukushima: Medical assistance to local residents

On 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan and led to meltdowns in the reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The release of radioactive material into the air, water, and soil raised public concerns about radiation exposure and the long-term risk of cancer among nearby residents. Mr Shuhei Nomura of Imperial College London talked about his experience in the recovery period after the disaster as well as the key issues and challenges facing the residents in the region.

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19 February 2014

The Power of Information and Knowledge

This first seminar of our 2014 series on the theme of “Power” will focus on the relationship between information and society, and how the understanding and use of information have been the primary factors in the development and character of the modern age. Prominent British historian Professor Jeremy Black and the Asahi Shimbun European Bureau Chief, Mr Toshiya Umehara discussed the power of information and knowledge, and the dangers of its absence. The seminar was chaired by Professor Arthur Stockwin.

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13 February 2014

Tokyo Portraits by Carl Randall

Carl Randall talked about his latest solo exhibition at Daiwa Foundation Japan House, exploring the themes of overpopulation, community and the individual and the group, as depicted in his Tokyo Portraits. The artist was joined by Andrew Stahl, Head of Undergraduate Painting and Director of Undergraduate Studies at The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London.

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11 February 2014

The Future of Abenomics- A Political Perspective

Will Abenomics continue to be successful this year? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand the political challenges that Prime Minister Abe faces. Professor Harukata Takenaka discussed the changes to the power of Japanese Prime Ministers since the 1990s, and also discussed the restrictions that Japanese Prime Ministers still face, by comparison with their British counterparts. A major challenge for the Prime Minister will be to implement the “Third Arrow”, which are his plans for significant structural reforms.

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30 January 2014

Looking Back at Britain, Japan and Pearl Harbor: Avoiding War 1936-41

It is relatively rare for a historian to get the chance to engage in critical reflection of his own work. In this short talk, Dr Antony Best, Senior Lecturer at the London School of Economics, addressed the most significant issues that he discussed in his first book “Britain, Japan and Pearl Harbor: Avoiding War in East Asia, 1936-1941” (Routledge, London, 1995). This book delves into the history of Britain and the origins of the Pacific War, including the role of intelligence and the economic factors that helped to propel Britain and Japan towards conflict. In addition, he reflected on the changes to the historical record since the date of its first publication in 1995 and how the book might now be revised in the light of different new methodological approaches towards the writing of history. In particular, he discussed how the study of public opinion and institutions beyond Whitehall can be usefully incorporated in order to provide a more complete picture of British interaction with Japan in this crucial period.

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23 January 2014

Kintsugi: The Art of Broken Pieces

Kintsugi is the craft in which chipped, cracked or broken ceramic pieces are repaired using a combination of urushi (lacquer) and rice glue. This process inadvertently results in a decoration, the form of which is dictated by the breakage the piece has suffered. The craft dates back to at least the 16th century, and there are various engaging historical anecdotes which emphasise the value placed on items pieced back together. There was also a demonstration of Kintsugi during the event.

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17 January 2014

Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival

David Pilling, Asia Correspondent at the Financial Times, talked about his newly released book Bending Adversity, a portrait of contemporary Japan. Despite years of stagnation, Japan remains one of the world’s largest economies and a country which exerts a remarkable cultural fascination. David Pilling’s new book is an entertaining, deeply knowledgeable and surprising analysis of a group of islands which have shown great resilience, both in the face of financial distress and when confronted with the overwhelming disaster of the 2011 earthquake.

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16 January 2014

Tokyo Portraits by Carl Randall

We celebrated the opening of Carl Randall’s Tokyo Portraits exhibition at the Daiwa Foundation Japan House Gallery on 16 January 2014. The artist was introduced by author David Mitchell (Booker Prize shortlisted – Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten).

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6 December 2013

Schoolgirls, Money and Rebellion in Japan

Dr Sharon Kinsella of the University of Manchester launches her new book ‘Schoolgirls, Money and Rebellion in Japan’ at Daiwa Foundation Japan House. Weaving through topics such as compensated dating (enjo kōsai), street fashion and nineteenth century black and white minstrelsy, Dr Kinsella analyses the cult of schoolgirls in contemporary Japan.

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