Events category: Talk

Cyber Security: National and Business threat?

Since the September 2013 selection of Tokyo as host of the 2020 Olympic Games, the Japanese have put increased emphasis on cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT) security to make sure the Games are a success. 2015-16 was particularly packed with developments. Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Security Officer for Japan at Palo Alto Networks, talked about Japan’s cybersecurity efforts in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and what they mean for the rest of the world.

Ballerina: The Reason I Keep Dancing

Japan has and continues to produce world class ballet dancers. Dancing at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is the pinnacle of a dancer’s career, and young Japanese ballet dancers dream of joining the world-famous Royal Ballet company. In this talk, Miyako Yoshida, who has performed in numerous leading roles at the Royal Ballet, shared her love of dancing with us.

Creating My Brand: Fashion Entrepreneurship in Japan and the UK

Successful female Japanese entrepreneur Junko Kemi will discuss the challenges she faced in establishing her business in Japan and expanding overseas, and explore the similarities and differences between British and Japanese business practices.

“I’m Alone, But Not Lonely” - An Essay on the Rise of Otaku

Sociologist Volker Grassmuck will give an illustrated talk about his visit to Tokyo in 1989 and the experiences which resulted in his popular and influential essay “I’m Alone, But Not Lonely”. The essay focuses on the emergence of the Otaku phenomenon. The essay’s enduring relevance and popularity today points to the implicit proposition ‘Are we not all Otaku now?’

Marriage in Crisis? The Development of Virtual Relationships in Japan

Japanese society faces not only a “marriage crisis” but also a “relationship crisis”. It is estimated that there are over 10 million adults without a spouse or a partner; many of these continue to live with their parents late into their working lives, often termed ‘Parasite Singles’. How are these people’s feelings of intimacy and relationship satisfied? In this talk, Professor Masahiro Yamada and Professor Adrian Favell will discuss the rise of unmarried adults, and how these relationship crises have led to the development of virtual relationships in Japan.

Joso’s Japan: Wood and Paper Houses

In this event, author Jayne Joso will talk us through the essential elements of the Japanese wood and paper house, and how one of these enigmatic spaces came to settle itself as a character in its own right in her critically acclaimed novel, My Falling Down House.

Earth, Pigment and Stone: Artist Julie Brook’s Japan

The 2015 Daiwa Art Prize shortlisted artist Julie Brook’s practice involves making sculptural work inspired by the specific environments she inhabits using materials found to hand such as earth, pigment and stone. Her work is transient, temporal, and ephemeral; her sculptures are made of the fabric of the landscape itself. This talk will give a brief introduction to the work the artist has made in wild landscapes in Libya, Namibia and Scotland and how her recent visit to Japan is influencing her future projects.

Contemporary Botanical Art from Japan: Kusabana-zu

This talk explores the idea of traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga) through the theme of the exhibition “Contemporary Botanical Art from Japan: Kusabana-zu”, serving as a forum for participating artists to explore the dichotomy and interrelationship between the traditional and the contemporary in Nihonga and how this impacts on their own individual art. It also aims to introduce a London audience to traditional Japanese painting media and materials used in Nihonga. In particular, it presents leading academic research into the conservation and restoration of Japanese handmade paper or washi, one of the key materials used in Nihonga painting.

Artist Talk: Blue Passages by Shino Yanai

Blue Passages documents Shino Yanai’s recent performance featuring video, photography, and salvaged objects. She followed the perilous mountain route between France and Spain that was made by the German Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin in his doomed attempt to escape the Nazis in 1940.

The artist will be joined by Dr Jonathan Whitehall to discuss ideas of migration, ethics and personal and public history in relation to her new exhibition, Blue Passages.

High School and University Articulation Reforms: Revolutionising Education in Japan

In March 2016, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) published further education reforms. The purpose of these reforms, the most revolutionary and comprehensive since the Second World War, is to restructure Japan’s education system, equipping students with 21st century competencies such as independent thought, creativity and initiative. Professor Takashi Otani will examine the reaction to and impact of these reforms, and consider the issues Japanese education will face in the future.