Past Events

Graphic Narratives from Early Modern Japan

Part of a formidable publishing industry, cheap yet eye-catching graphic narratives consistently charmed early modern Japanese readers for around two hundred years, from the late seventeenth to the late nineteenth century. These booklets were called kusazōshi (lit. “grass books”). Multimodal in essence, kusazōshi combine images and words asking the reader to negotiate the complex interactions of these different modes on the page. Meaning is created out of such negotiation. Graphic Narratives from Early Modern Japan: The World of Kusazōshi (Brill 2024) is the first English-language publication to investigate this textual typology in the round. In this book launch Prof. Laura Moretti selected what she views as the most thought-provoking lines of inquiry put forward by the contributors featured in the volume.

Metalworker Kathleen Reilly's design journey: From Glasgow to Tsubame-Sanjo and beyond

Scottish artist and metalworker Kathleen Reilly discussed her journey from her hometown of Glasgow to the small metalworking town of Tsubame-Sanjo and her inspiration and experiences living and training there for two years. Kathleen’s new knife design Oku will be on show as part of this year’s London Design Festival 2024. She discussed Oku in-depth, including her collaboration with Karimoku Furniture, Japan’s leading wooden furniture manufacturer and the background behind her installation and film created with Riyo Nemeth and Paz Castro featuring music by soundscape designer Hiroki Saitoh to celebrate the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. She also touched on her new metal casting project series ‘Gran’s Plates’ and ‘Mother’s Plates’.

Japan: The Basics

Japan: The Basics is an engaging introduction to the culture, society, and global positioning of Japan. Starting by looking at the common stereotypes, clichés, and tropes associated with Japan, this accessible introduction to the country is designed to arm readers with key skills and knowledge for their study of Japan. In this talk, the author, Dr Christopher Hood, discussed some of the key features of the book, the way in which the book works alongside other books about Japan, how some of the research for the book was done, and other things related to the book – some of which are not mentioned in the book itself.

New Horizons for Japanese Traditional Crafts

Japanese traditional crafts have a rich history and utilise a wide variety of beautiful materials and techniques. But many Japanese people still perceive traditional crafts as a mere expression of the “classical” culture featured in social studies textbooks, overlooking their contemporary richness and diversity. In this talk, Dr Hideki Yoshimoto will share his perceptions of the current situation for traditional crafts in Tohoku. He will then present his Craft x Tech initiative which explores new horizons for traditional crafts by integrating them with contemporary design and technology, along with unique artworks produced through collaborations between Tohoku’s master craftsmen, artists and designers.

West meets East through the World of Noh

Akira Matsui, Kitazawa Hideta and Richard Emmert have been at the forefront of bringing noh theatre to the world through innovation and experimentation. The three Masters will join Jason James in conversation to hear about how tradition meets modernity, and West meets East, in the work of these singular figures in the noh world. At the end of this discussion Kitazawa Hideta will undertake a book signing of his newly published book Noh and Kyogen Masks: Tradition and Modernity in the Art of Kitazawa Hideta.

Social determinants of youth mental health in Tokyo & London

While Japan leads the world in terms of physical health outcomes, its mental health systems are often seen as ‘behind the curve’ compared to other economically-developed countries. This is especially true for mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. In this event, we welcomed a panel of speakers with extensive experience working in mental health policy and practice in Japan to present on contemporary issues and intervention strategies relating to young people’s mental health.

Artist Talk: Yuki Kihara in conversation with Gabriela Salgado

‘‘Who am I, what am I, and what are you?’ are questions that will never haunt or torment Kihara. Rather, they provide her with the material for her artwork. The possible answers to these questions are always limited and draw boundaries that Kihara will continue to cross in the expression of her existence.’ – Jim Vivieaere

In this event moderated by Gabriela Salgado, Kihara will discuss her recent works including the ‘サ–モアのうた (Sāmoa no uta): A Song about Sāmoa 2019 – 2023’ series previously presented at the Pātaka Museum; Aichi Triennale; Gwangju Biennale and the National Museum of Scotland to name a few.

Keiichi Kurosawa and Early Music in Japan

Keiichi Kurosawa (1903-82) studied in the 1920s at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was always destined to take over his father’s typewriter company in Tokyo, but he was also a talented musician. During the time he spent in the UK there was a resurgence in interest in early music, led by figures such as Arnold Dolmetsch, who founded the International Dolmetsch Early Music Festival at Haslemere in 1925. Kurosawa became particularly interested in madrigals because of their essentially amateur music-making ethos, and founded the Tokyo Madrigal Club in 1929. Jason James will discuss Kurosawa’s time at Cambridge, and how he and his musical associates played a key role in introducing (Western) ‘early music’ to Japan in the mid-20th century.

[Online] Maya Erin Masuda in conversation with Johnny Golding

To mark the opening of ‘Sleep, Lick, Leak, Deep….’ by Maya Erin Masuda at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, we are delighted to have an online artist talk, ‘Maya Erin Masuda in conversation with Johnny Golding’. In this event, Maya Erin Masuda and Professor Johnny Golding will discuss Masuda’s artistic motivation while exploring her recent projects, in which Masuda takes an intimate look at contemporary ecological traumas and biopolitics seen in particular chemical infrastructures or nuclear catastrophes.

This is an online webinar. Advanced booking is essential.

Exploring Japan: A Diplomatic Journey with Ambassador Paul Madden

We were delighted to welcome Paul Madden CMG FRGS, former Ambassador to Japan, to discuss his favourite experiences in Japan with Stephen Barber, a trustee of The Japan Society and Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. In his popular book 三九 Sankyu Japan: Twittering thanks to Japan, Paul Madden documents his travels across Japan during his time as British Ambassador, and the relationship he developed with his 30,000 Japanese twitter followers as he posted about his favourite Japanese things. After sharing his reflections and highlights, Paul was joined by Stephen who has also lived and travelled extensively in Japan for a discussion and Q&A with the audience.

グレゴリー・ドーラン氏による大和一番レクチャー2023

2023年6月6日、ジュリア・ロングボトム駐日英国大使公邸にて、「大和一番レクチャー」を実施し、登壇者としてサー・グレゴリー・ドーラン氏を招いた。本セミナーシリーズは、在日英国大使館と共催イベントであり、同年、第5回目の実施となった 。

Private View:
Sleep, Lick, Leak, Deep….
by Maya Erin Masuda

This event provided the first opportunity to explore Masuda’s installation works at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

In her body of work, Masuda takes an intimate look at contemporary ecological traumas and biopolitics seen in particular chemical infrastructures or nuclear catastrophes. In this exhibition, Masuda provides a poetic, ontological breath which fosters a sense of interspecies belonging and points to the non-autonomous essence of all living agents.