Past Events

British Children’s Literature in Japanese Culture

Whether watching Studio Ghibli adaptations of British children’s books, visiting Harry Potter sites in Britain or eating at Alice in Wonderland-themed restaurants in Tokyo, the Japanese have a close and multifaceted relationship with British children’s literature. In British Children’s Literature in Japanese Culture, the first comprehensive study to explore this engagement, Catherine Butler considers its many manifestations in print, on the screen, in tourist locations and throughout Japanese popular culture.

Private View: transiənt by Sayuri Ichida

Join us for a private view of Sayuri Ichida’s first solo exhibition in the UK, transiənt (‘transient’) at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. This event will offer a first opportunity to explore selected works from Ichida’s two photography series, ‘Absentee’ (2020-2021) and ‘Ctrl Shift + J’ (2023-). Drawing from personal experiences of loss, grief, and life abroad, Ichida’s works explore the ephemeral nature of life and existence. Through these series, she revisits and processes the past, reflecting on the complex ways we experience time – distortion, repetition, and regression – when memories intertwine with the present. Showcasing over 30 pieces, the exhibition invites viewers to immerse themselves in her delicately processed monochromatic images that integrate her emotional landscapes across multiple temporal dimensions. 

Okinawa’s Military Bases and the US–Japan Alliance

Okinawa has one of the heaviest concentrations of US military bases in the world. The relocation of the US Marine base to Henoko in northern Okinawa is framed by Japanese politicians and some analysts as crucial to “deterrence”. Critics, on the other hand, argue that deterrence is merely a pretext used by the central government in Tokyo to perpetuate a political agenda that discriminates against Okinawans. In this webinar moderated by Professor Heigo Sato, Dr Paul O’Shea will analyse the deterrence claims made by relocation proponents from the perspective of various factors including the capabilities of the US marines and their credibility, and the potential impact on the long-term resiliency of the US–Japan alliance.　

War and Peace

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. Many of the tragedies witnessed during the war, including the trauma of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, as well as the Holocaust in Europe, had devastating consequences that shaped the fate of humanity during the 20th century. 80 years later, we are again living in critical times that may shape the future of humanity in years to come. If humanity is unable to remember the past, we may be condemned to repeat it. Our annual seminar series will focus on the topic of “War and Peace” in its different forms.

Daiwa Ichiban Lecture 2024 with Will Hutton

On 26 November 2024, Will Hutton spoke on ‘Flying on all Engines – Economic and Political Prospects for Britain until 2030’ for the 2024 Daiwa Ichiban Lecture. It was held at the Ambassador’s residence by invitation only. This was the sixth lecture in the ongoing Daiwa Ichiban Lecture Series in collaboration with the British Embassy in Tokyo, for the purpose of introducing Britain to Japan.

Will Hutton is President of the Academy of Social Sciences, a political economist, author and journalist. He is also regularly called on to advise senior political and business figures and comment in the national and international media. The lecture was well attended and raised an interesting discussion in the audience Q&A.

A New Trump Presidency - The Implications for US-Japan Relations

Following a fiercely contested campaign in which opinions have been sharply polarised, former President Donald Trump has been elected to be the 47th president of the United States. Donald Trump’s election victory will have profound implications for the world order and the future of relations between the US and other countries, including Japan. In this seminar, moderated by Gideon Rachman, the panelists discussed how US domestic and foreign policies are likely to shift after the election, and the implications for the future of the international order and US relations with Japan.

The Impact of the US Presidential Election on the International Order

The 2024 US presidential election is expected to have a significant impact on the international order. The outcome of the election may have great implications for the ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, US policy towards China, and the US’s relations with its traditional allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. In this webinar, chaired by Philip Shetler-Jones, the speakers will present their views on the impact of the election on the international order, with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region and the implications for Japan.

Music Generations in the Digital Age

Music Generations in the Digital Age is a unique work at the intersection of cultural, media and music studies. In the book, Dr Rafal Zaborowski delves into how music engagement is changing in the digital era, focusing on key themes of participation, interpretation, circulation and cultural production. In this talk, he will particularly cover the following topics:
・Why do virtual idols sometimes feel more authentic than non-virtual ones?
・How can pop groups resonate differently across generations?
・How has the Japanese music industry evolved in the digital age?
・Can you tell the difference between real Japanese pop lyrics and AI-generated poetry?

Squingle: VR Game Business and Japanese Studio Collaboration

The journey of developing and publishing Squingle, a psychedelic VR puzzle game where players guide revolving orbs through increasingly complex 3D spatial mazes on a cosmic transcendence adventure, has been a significant success story enabled by the Daiwa Scholarship. Squingle merges science, technology, innovation, and art to create a surreal, ongoing collaboration between the UK and Japan, deeply influenced by partnerships with Keio University and Enhance Games, a Japanese game studio.

Noguchi Rika in conversation with
Jonathan Watkins

In this event, Noguchi Rika will be in conversation with Jonathan Watkins, curator of her exhibition Life on Planet Earth, putting the work shown into the context of her practice overall. In particular, they will discuss the representation of alienness, a theme that has been evident in Noguchi’s work since she emerged as an artist in the 1990s. She encourages us to see the visible world as if for the first time – with a sense of wonder – while conveying a kind of melancholy derived from an understanding that human perception is strictly limited. In this vein, recent photographs and films of insects and birds exemplify a proposition that is as aesthetic as it is philosophical.

Private View:
Life on Planet Earth by Noguchi Rika

Join us for a private view of Noguchi Rika’s first solo exhibition in the UK since 2004, Life on Planet Earth at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Combining video and photographs, this exhibition conveys a sense of wonder at being in the world as well as the particularity of being human.

The doors will open at 6:00 pm on Tuesday 8th October 2024. Guests are welcome to visit the gallery anytime between 6:00 pm and 7:45 pm with advanced booking.

Enjoy Homemade Sushi!

Do you like sushi? Would you like to make sushi yourself? Well, in that case, join us! We will show you how to make delicious and healthy nigiri-sushi at home. Erika Henderson from Café Yukari will give you a brief history of sushi and show you how to prepare sushi rice. Cooking proper rice and mixing it with the right amount of vinegar, sugar, and salt is the first step in making successful sushi. Then Erika and Yukari Henderson will show you some good sushi recipes with easy-to-obtain supermarket ingredients, including vegetarian varieties. You can also try some samples of their nigiri-sushi at the event.