1 January 2026
AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and is rapidly being adopted across a range of sectors – in work, in education and in our homes. As the development and adoption of AI tools continue, in this year’s Annual Seminar Series we examine the current state of AI, exploring how far AI tools have been adopted and integrated across various sectors, as well as the challenges involved, and what society may look like in the near future.
27 November 2025
Sanae Takaichi has become Japan’s 104th prime minister, and is the first woman to hold the job. Her economic policy emphasises large-scale fiscal spending and aggressive monetary easing. Both are reminiscent of Abenomics in their aim to boost economic growth; however, concerns about inflation persist due to the weak yen. In this webinar, Professor Noriko Hama will analyse the economic impact of Abenomics during the prime ministership of Shinzo Abe (2012–2020), and the potential impact of resurrecting the policy. She will also discuss the fundamental issues Japan faces, and suggest some responses.
26 November 2025
In her most recent novel, ‘Six Months of Dreaming’, Cory was inspired by the chance find of fourteen necktie designs enclosed with a letter sent by Yutaka Kajikawa (an unknown young Japanese artist from Suita outside Osaka) to Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, who was visiting Japan on the first round-the-world Zeppelin flight in 1929. He hoped she would promote his ‘modern’ designs in the West. Although she did nothing for the young artist, Cory set out to imagine the story of what became of him. She also took his designs and reworked them into wallpapers, fabrics and scarves so that, ninety-six years on, he was granted the prestigious exhibition in central London he had so hoped for. In October 2025, Cory brought the book and exhibition back to Osaka as part of the Royal Society of Arts off-expo events at the British Pavilion, performing a one-woman show in a theatre in central Osaka entitled ‘Homecoming – the Triumphal Return of Yutaka Kajikawa’. During this book launch, Charlotte Cory will read extracts from her book and provide more insight into the project.
18 November 2025
Donald Trump’s tariff policies have been designed to bring manufacturing back to the United States and protect American jobs. Although the practical results in the US have been mixed so far, retaliation from trading partners such as China and the EU has hit US agriculture especially hard. The impact of tariffs and policy uncertainty has also been significant globally, including in Japan, affecting regions and industries in different ways, with some companies tending to benefit, but others getting left behind. In this webinar, moderated by Professor Hugh Whittaker, Dr Daisuke Adachi talked about the impact of the tariffs; potential trends; related challenges; and lessons for Japan.
13 November 2025
Rising housing costs have become a prevalent issue in many high-income countries, contributing to financial insecurity and social unrest. Whilst the UK presents one of the more extreme examples of this trend, Japan’s house prices have tended to remain low in comparison to other high-income nations. Nevertheless, this tendency no longer seems certain, especially in popular metropolitan areas such as Tokyo. In this webinar, Professor Jiro Yoshida unpacked the unique characteristics of Japan’s housing market whilst Dr Filipa Sá demonstrated how foreign investment has contributed to rising house prices in the UK.
7 November 2025
This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II, which had devastating consequences for people in many countries. Despite this historical event providing many lessons, the world is once again experiencing a surge of conflict and war, with millions of individuals suffering. Often, individual and collective memories are not passed on, and may be forgotten. In this webinar, various panellists with different backgrounds will discuss how to pass on the memory of wartime tragedies to future generations.
4 November 2025
In the context of increasing global tension, the world has been experiencing a surge of conflict. Wars continue to rage in Ukraine and Gaza, while tensions in East Asia remain high. Where should Japan’s foreign and security policy be headed, at a time when the international order is being profoundly shaken by the United States, the now avowedly illiberal leader of the ‘free world’? In this webinar, Professor Nakano discussed recent security-related legislation, the expanding role of the Self-Defense Forces, the implications for Japan’s peace constitution as well as the principle of constitutionalism, and the effects of emerging right-wing populist political parties on political decision-making. He also shared recommendations for maintaining peace in East Asia at a time of flux and uncertainty.
8 October 2025
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, this exhibition, comprising work by three acclaimed Japanese women artists, shifts its gaze to another side of the city and its people – the changes, the things that remain, personal and genuine memories, as well as the everyday, the ordinary and contemporary society. This exhibition encourages us to see Hiroshima differently, as a city that was once traumatised but is now teeming with life. This exhibition features multiple different series of artworks: ひろしま/hiroshima by Ishiuchi Miyako, Here Goes River by Fujioka Aya and PARK CITY by Sasaoka Keiko.
7 October 2025
Japan’s landscapes are as diverse as they are beautiful – from Hokkaido’s alpine meadows to the subtropical forests of Okinawa. This variety of habitats supports an extraordinary range of plants, with a quarter found nowhere else on Earth. In this talk, Ben Jones, Arboretum Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, shared stories and discoveries from over a decade of botanical fieldwork in Japan. Blending science, conservation and cultural heritage, this presentation celebrated Japan’s unique plant life and highlights why protecting it matters for both nature and people, at home and around the world.
25 September 2025
Political populism is on the rise globally, driven by factors including social inequality, economic insecurity and immigration. This trend is also evident in the UK and Japan, as reflected in recent elections and the current political landscape in both countries. In this webinar, Associate Professor Naoko Hashimoto discussed the politicisation of immigration in Japan, based on the experience of the July 2025 House of Councillors election, which featured a ‘Japanese First’ campaign launched by a few minor and relatively new political parties, as well as some apparently deliberate use of misinformation. Professor Jane Green addressed the realignment of the British electorate and the fragmentation of the right, exploring how Reform may overtake Labour in numerous constituencies and examining the underlying social factors.
17 September 2025
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, this exhibition, comprising work by three acclaimed Japanese women artists, shifts its gaze to another side of the city and its people – the changes, the things that remain, personal and genuine memories, as well as the everyday, the ordinary and contemporary society. This exhibition encourages us to see Hiroshima differently, as a city that was once traumatised but is now teeming with life. This exhibition features multiple different series of artworks: ひろしま/hiroshima by Ishiuchi Miyako, Here Goes River by Fujioka Aya and PARK CITY by Sasaoka Keiko.
16 September 2025
For over a decade, Japan and the UK have identified one another as their most important security partners in Asia and Europe respectively. The two countries currently enjoy a high in bilateral military partnership that has been referred to as a ‘quasi alliance’. Looking back, however, there have been ups and downs since the days of the bilateral alliance over a century ago. We joined the authors of a new book that explores how peacetime military relations between Japan and the UK have played out from Bakumatsu to Brexit.
