Events category: Talk

25 April 2024

David Martin

Japanese Modernist Painters in Seattle, 1910-1970

In this talk, David F. Martin discussed the art of Japanese-American painters active in Seattle, Washington in the early to mid- 20th century. Beginning with the first generation Issei to the next generation of Nisei, several of these artists achieved national and international reputations during their lives. However, their careers and personal lives suffered from being interned in incarceration camps on the American west coast during WWII. Martin featured a wide range of styles practised by these artists from impressionism to modernism and abstraction. He will present rare images of paintings completed by some of the artists during their incarceration.

Fully bookedMore info

3 November 2023

Wgashi

Introduction to the Tea Ceremony and Japanese Confectionery (Wagashi)

Japanese confectionery or wagashi, also known as ‘the art you taste with your five senses’, has a long history in Japan, and is closely associated with the traditional tea ceremony. Yasuhiro Hikiami, the 4th generation proprietor of Toyama Prefecture’s famous confectionery producer Hikiami Kōgetsudō, with his superb technical ability, and the creativity that enables him to come up with unexpected and beautiful designs, is a wagashi craftsman widely trusted by tea ceremony practitioners across Japan. His talk and demonstration of wagashi-making will shed light on how these sweets are made, and the thinking that lies behind them.

Fully bookedMore info

5 October 2023

Sport of Kings: Horse racing in the UK and Japan

Horse racing is a beloved sport and industry in both the UK and Japan, involving entertainment, gambling, and highly-selective breeding, among other aspects. While both countries share a passion for racing, there are distinct differences that set their horseracing scenes apart. In this talk, Dr Kanichi Kusano discussed the history of the horse racing industry up to the present day, drawing a comparison between British “traditional” racing and Japanese “fans and breeding-centric” racing. He also touched on the challenging issues that racing is currently confronting, offering insights from veterinary perspective.

More info

7 September 2023

The Future of Dance - Crossing Social Borders

Yoriko Maeno is a Japanese dance theatre director and choreographer. Over the past 15 years, Maeno has crossed and blurred the boundaries between dance and other art media, dance and society, and the local and global. In this talk, Maeno introduces her two most recent projects related to local communities, about the culture of the Ama (“sea women”) in Japan, and her series of projects about dementia (2019-2021). Maeno shared her thoughts about the potential ecosystem for dance theatre, and further possibilities for it to tackle current issues facing humanity globally, such as divisions in society and the use of AI.

More info

24 July 2023

Cultural Heritage and Conservation – Notre-Dame Cathedral and Shuri-jo Castle

On April 15th 2019, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire. About six months later, the Seiden (State Hall) of Shuri-jo Castle in Okinawa, Japan, which was a symbol of the Ryukyu kingdom, was completely destroyed by fire. The two buildings were very different in terms of legal status, cultural value, history, materials, and governance. On the other hand, there are quite a few similarities, such as strong social reactions, the role of scientific studies, and the importance of intangible cultural heritage. In this talk, Professor Kono considered the two cases from various angles and offer some thoughts on the recovery of cultural heritage after disasters of this kind.

More info

5 July 2023

Finding a sense of self amid European culture

Contemporary artist Maki Umehara works on producing artist books in German and other languages, and on projects with artists from various countries. In the collaborative projects [nüans] Umehara worked on in Europe, she focused on avoiding the clashes of binary oppositions such as Europe/Asia, male/female, conservative/liberal. The archival book she created through her projects examines how society depicts itself as a place for learning, like a school, with the underlining themes of “place for self-education” and “network”. In this talk Umehara showed how the smallest collective unit comprising society has transitioned over time and how she has started to create her own space away from all that. She talked about how she has found and improved her sense of self amid European culture.

More info

25 May 2023

Evolving Priorities in International Development for Japan and the UK

Priorities in international development are evolving rapidly with humanitarian issues, climate change and security issues inter alia becoming much more important. What is the view from Japan and the UK on these priorities? Also, the UK is ever more budget constrained with an arguably receding profile in international development, while Japan is increasingly proactive, and expected to spend more on ODA. In practical terms, how will these evolving priorities, and changes in expenditure and proactivity, affect how the UK and Japan deliver Official Development Assistance (ODA)? Are there opportunities for coordinating and collaborating in the area of ODA? In this seminar Dr Carl Aaron and Professor Kuniaki Amatsu analysed these issues from a Japanese, UK and international perspective.

More info

23 May 2023

The Role of Olympics Volunteers – Charles Nishikawa in conversation with Noel Thatcher MBE

With the Paris Olympics 2024 approaching, around 45,000 volunteers are expected to be hired to support the organisation of the games. The role of volunteers is not only critical to the success of the Games, but also has a great social impact in strengthening and promoting volunteering infrastructure. In this event, moderated by Noel Thatcher MBE, Charles Nishikawa spoke about the role of volunteers in the Olympics. Mr Nishikawa has over 10 years of experience participating as a volunteer in past Olympic Games. He shared his perspectives on the differences between the UK and Japan regarding the collective experience, motivation, and social impact of volunteers.

More info

9 February 2023

Japan’s Economic Security and the Global Competition in Semiconductors

The semiconductor industry – vital for the development of future technologies – is at the centre of rising geopolitical competition between the US and China. Chip production is highly concentrated in East Asia, especially in Taiwan. As China develops its domestic semiconductor industry and geopolitical divides deepen, many countries, including Japan, are attempting to rebuild their semiconductor industry and related supply chains. In this talk, Mariko Togashi explained Japan’s position in the global competition for semiconductors and how it impacts the country’s national economic security strategy. She also discussed some of the greatest challenges lying ahead for Japan’s semiconductor industry and national security, and present recommendations.

More info

26 April 2023

Pictorialist Photography: Soichi Sunami and his Issei Contemporaries

David F. Martin discussed the work and international achievements of Issei photographers active in Seattle, Washington, in the early 20th century. He will focus primarily on Soichi Sunami, whose main interest was dance photography, and became the chief photographer for the Museum of Modern Art (New York). The Seattle Camera Club was founded in 1924 and held their first exhibition the following year. The key members were Hiromu Kira, Dr. Kyo Koike, Frank Asakichi Kunishige, and Yukio Morinaga. With the exception of Sunami, the Seattle Issei photographers were interned at the Minidoka relocation centre (concentration camp) which collectively ended their artistic careers.

Fully bookedMore info
Toggle navigation