The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Supporting closer links between the UK and Japan

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22 October 2026

Minoru Yamasaki’s Nisei Life and Legacy: A Granddaughter’s Perspective

In this talk, artist Katie Yamasaki will reflect on the vision and values of her grandfather, Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki, and explore the complex legacy of the Twin Towers, which he designed, from her personal perspective as his granddaughter in the years following 9/11. Drawing on her book, ‘Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather’s American Journey’, she will also discuss what she hopes to convey about her grandfather’s life and work, and what she wishes to pass on to younger generations.

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23 October 2026

Shinya Tsukamoto in Conversation with Professor Alastair Phillips

In this webinar, moderated by Professor Alastair Phillips, acclaimed filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto will discuss his latest film, Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?, which recently received the Leoncino d’Oro Award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. He will share insights into his work, the concepts and background behind the film’s creation, as well as the inspiration behind the work.

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3 November 2026

Can Cherry Trees Bring Hope to Ukraine?

Masatoshi Asari, a 95-year-old Japanese cherry-tree creator who has spent more than 50 years sending sakura overseas, will make his final ‘gift of peace’ next spring when his ornamental cherries go to Ukraine in 2027, five years after the war started. Throughout his life, Asari has regarded cherry blossoms as symbols of peace, friendship and reconciliation.
How can Japanese cherry trees support humanitarian activities in Ukraine, a country devastated by war? Can cherry trees be a testament of hope there? Tracing the human stories behind the trees, this talk will explore these questions.

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11 November 2026

Japan's Intelligence Reforms

Japan, long known as a ‘spy paradise’, is reconstructing its intelligence capabilities. In a narrow sense, this can be understood as the continuation of a gradual trend of Japan ridding itself of restrictions that limited the state’s role in national security over the post-war era. In a deeper sense, its implications have to do with the measure of the nation’s political health and the expression of its collective subconscious. In this seminar, Dr Philip Shetler-Jones will explain proposed legal and institutional changes, and what this says about the direction of Japanese society, its threat perceptions and the demands the current international environment makes on Japan.

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23 November 2026

AI Translation between Sign and Spoken Language

AI now translates between many spoken languages, but sign languages have been largely left behind. In this talk, Professor Richard Bowden traces how AI has learnt to recognise, translate and produce sign language from video. He will show how this work is reaching the real world through Signapse, a University of Surrey spin-out whose AI signers are already used in settings such as public transport. The talk will discuss UMCS, a new five-year UK–Japan research project funded by EPSRC and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, which focuses on natural conversations in British Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language.

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Latest news

13 October 2026

Rebellious Bodies Butoh Festival 2026 - taking place across October and November

Rebellious Bodies Butoh Festival 2026 takes place across October and November, bringing highly inspirational, well-established Japanese butoh artists to UK audiences. The highlight is two nights at The Place in London (13 and 14 November), including Mother Forest, a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble piece led by the legendary Mitsuyo Uesugi, who trained and performed alongside Kazuo Ohno

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14 September 2026

'Onsen' by Carl Randall

Onsen, an oil painting by Daiwa Scholarships alumnus and artist Carl Randall, has been used on the cover of  the book Skinship published by Salt Publishing. Skinship is a collection of poems by author Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana, who like Carl, spent 10 years living in Japan. The title Skinship comes from a Japanese loan word fusing

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28 August 2026

Daiwa Scholars 2026

Daiwa Scholarships and Daiwa Scholarships in Japanese Studies

Daiwa Scholarships 2027: Language Study, Homestay & Work Placement in Japan – apply by 3 December 2026 The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is a UK charity supporting UK-Japan links through awarding Daiwa Scholarships and Daiwa Scholarships in Japanese Studies; offering grants to support UK-Japan collaboration and organising events including seminars, and exhibitions at its London headquarters.

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7 July 2026

Carl Randall's 'The Kokeshi Maker' on display until 11 July at Gallery 8

Daiwa Scholarships alumnus and artist Carl Randall has a new Japan-themed painting on show at the Hampstead Art Society Summer Exhibition until 11 July at Gallery 8 in Mayfair, central London. His oil painting The Kokeshi Maker is one of 90 artworks chosen from 3,252 worldwide submissions. The show also includes paintings by Winifred Nicholson

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