Events 2015Annual & Special Events
22 JanJapan Society Annual Dinner

2 Feb

Lecture by Tim Hitchens, British Ambassador to Tokyo. At Nomura International

10 MarDorothy Britton Memorial

24 JunJapan Society Annual General Meeting

21 JulJapan Society Pub Quiz with Satsuma 150 Visitors

5/6 Aug

Tanabata Festival at Kew Gardens with the Embassy of Japan

24 AugTour of the Hitachi Ashford Depot

19 SepJapan Matsuri 2015 at Trafalgar Square, with JCCI, Embassy of Japan, Japan Association and the Nippon Club

15 OctThe Asia Pacific War and its Legacy: A Historical Debate on the 70 Anniversary of the End of the War

1 Dec

Japan Society Christmas Party at the Japanese Embassy

LthArts & Culture
22 FebJapan Society Choral Workshop

30 MarPrivate Viewing and Artist Talk: Sketches from the Poem Road – Isao Miura

6 May

Visit to Chelsea Physic Garden with The Hong Kong Society

22 MayNinagawa Company’s Hamlet at the Barbican

29 MayNinagawa Company’s Kafka on the Shore at the Barbican

2 Jun

Kew’s Heritage Trees: Private tour with Artist Masumi Yamanaka

12 JulMatsuya Nozawa and the World of Joruri: Musical Storytelling

30 SepMme Butterfly: What Happened Next, with Ignacio Jarquin and Chris Roberts

3 Oct

Private Viewing, Artist Talk and Workshop: Life and Hopes for the Future – Ichijoh Shimotani

5 Dec

Drop-In Christmas Crafting Family Day

BusinessLectures & Seminars
28 JanGlen S. Fukushima In Conversation – Glen S. Fukushima, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.
At the Oriental ClubL

18 MarCybersecurity: The Scale of the Threat and the Answers. At BT

3 Jun

The New World Disorder – Richard Fenning, CEO, Control Risks. At Linklaters

10 JulEnergy and Climate Change in the Build Up to COP21 – Takashi Hattori, Head of Environment & Climate Change Unit,
International Energy Agency. At EY

16 SepThe UK and the EU: Bill Emmott, author and journalist, in conversation with Mami Mizutori, Executive Directorof the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures. At Mitsui & Co Europe plc

29 Sep

The Global Market for Grains, Rice and Oilseeds: Recent Trends and Prospects – Etsuo Kitahara, ExecutiveDirector, International Grains Council. At King & Wood Mallesons

26 OctThe Olympus Scandal: Has Anything Changed Since Then? – Michael Woodford. At Simmons & Simmons

30 OctCreating the Future City: Tokyo’s Vision and Action – Yōichi Masuzoe, Governor of Tokyo. At the Oriental Club

Chairman’s Lunches and Dinners

Private, off the record meetings with an informal talk by the guest of honour
16 FebIn Defence of Abenomics – Peter Tasker. At BDO LLP

30 Apr

The World’s Current Security Situation – Sir Kim Darroch, National Security Advisor. At HSBC

13 Nov

Tracking the Progress of the British Economy – Sir Jon Cunliffe, Deputy Governor, Bank of England. At
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

3 Dec

The UK and Japan’s Strategic Partnership – Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defence. At EY

In partnership with other organisations
Joint Lunches with the JCCI4 Feb

A House Divided: A Pre-election Prognosis – Philip Stephens, Associate Editor, Financial Times.
At the National Liberal Club

3 SepWith Members of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group on the occasion of its 32nd Annual Meeting.
At the Cavalry and Guards Club

10 DecJapan’s Concerns with China, the UK’s Concerns with Europe: Do We Understand Each Other? – Robin
Niblett, Director, Chatham House. At the In & Out Club

Others
11 FebJapan Securities Summit. Hosted by the JSDA with ICMA

23 JunBrexit: Will Britain Leave Europe? The Real Issues – Denis MacShane. With JETRO

6 Jul

Invest in Japan: Mie Business Seminar and Business Exchange. With JETRO and Invest JapanLectures
Japan Society Lectures

At the Swedenborg Society unless otherwise stated
16 FebInterpreting Japan’s Controversial Plutonium Strategy – Peter Wynn Kirby

16 MarAt the Crossroads: Japan and Low-Skilled Foreign Workers – Kristin Surak

20 Apr

150 Years On: The Satsuma Students in Britain and the ‘Unequal Treaties’ – Andrew Cobbing

29 Apri

A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running – Adharanand Finn

18 MayDon’t mention the War! Writing the Alienated Self in Post-war Japan – Mark Williams

29 JunFormer Prime Ministers in Japanese Politics: Who’s Sori Now? – Hugo Dobson

16 & 20 Jul Carmen Blacker Lecture 2015. Amaterasu’s Progress: The Ise Shrines in the Public Sphere of Postwar Japan –John
Breen (16 July at Cathedral Hostry, Norwich). With the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts & Cultures
17 AugBakumatsu Kabuki Heroes: Thieves, Cutpurses & Extortionists – Alan Cummings

21 SepJapan’s Demographic Shift: Implications for the Future of Japanese Education and Social Policy – Roger Goodman

14 OctWabori: The World of Japanese Tattoo Art – Manami Okazaki

19 Oct

Lifetime Employment in 21st Century Japan: Stability and Resilience Under Pressure in the JapaneseManagement System – Peter Matanle

29 OctKyoto’s International Links – Pauline Chakmakjian. With Japan Room

16 Nov

Reimagining Japan’s Position on the World Stage in the Early 20th Century – Ian Rapley

Lifestyle
18 AprHanami in Kensington Gardens

17 MayMembers’ Trip to World Rugby 7s Finals Day at Twickenham, 30 May

Trooping the Colour 2015 – Special Seats at the Major General’s Review

30 MayCollar Cup Golf Tournament

22 JunJapan Society Golf Tournament

19 Jul5-a-side Football Tournament. Hosted by Samurai Football Academy

25 SepObubu: Green Tea Talk and Tasting with Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms

Japanese Conversation Group – held on the first Tuesday of every month at The Brewmaster:
An opportunity for Japanese speakers of all nationalities to come together and speak Japanese.
Book Club

Held on the second Monday of each month
12 JanBullfight by Yasushi Inoue

9 Feb

Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimurat 9 Mar
13 AprA Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

11 MayThe Sea and Poison by Shūsaku Endō

8 Jun

The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

13 JulThe Diving Pool by Yōko Ogawa

10 AugBlack Rain by Masuji Ibuse

14 SepNow You’re One of Us by Asa Nonami

12 Oct

The Cape: And Other Stories from the Japanese Ghetto by Kenji Nakagami

Woman Running in the Mountains by Yūko Tsushima

9 Nov

Underground by Haruki Murakami

14 DecPenguin Parallel Texts edited by Michael Emmerich

Schools Education
Reaching over 7,000 school children annually
All YearJapan in Your Classroom School Visits: During 2015, over 50 visits were made to primary and secondary schools
in the UK giving children an introduction to aspects of Japanese life and culture.
School Links: Continuing to establish new partnerships while providing targeted support to help strengthen
existing links through bilateral exchange trips, conference calls and curriculum-based projects.
Japan UK LIVE! The Society’s bilingual website continues to encourage cultural exchange between youngpeople in Japan and the UK by removing the language barrier.
Loan Resources: Cultural artefacts and materials on loan to schools throughout the year.

3 Mar

Japan Conference for Schools with the Japan Foundation at the Embassy of Japan, London: An annual event, thisyear attended by over 50 teachers taking part in a series of practical workshops alongside discussion groups ontopics including school linking; introducing Japanese to the curriculum; sharing teaching resources; and teaching
Japanese to dyslexic students. In this year’s key note speech Lorraine Cooper, Deputy Head of Maryland Primary
School in Newham, reported on her trip to Osaka in 2014 to research methods of teaching critical thinking skills.

16-19 Mar County Upper School in Bury St Edmunds hosted another visit, dedicated to cultural and scientific exchanges,
from their partner school Takamatsu Daiichi Senior High School from Kagawa Prefecture.
13 JunMaryland Primary School Japan Day, supported by Japan Society and its volunteers, including mangaworkshops run by professional manga artist Chie Kutsuwada.

29 JulSouth West London Scouts summer camp Japan Day. Attended by over 200 scouts at Phasels Wood Activity Centre
in Hertfordshire, the day included a range of traditional Japanese activities, from taiko to Radio Taisō.

9-14 Oct

Cropwell Bishop Primary School in Nottingham hosted another homestay exchange with their partner school Komaki
Elementary School from Nagano, this year with the support of Heymann Primary School in Nottingham, who arestarting to develop their own exchange with Wakatsuki Elementary School also from Nagano City.

23 OctWe again worked with Japan Airlines to launch the 14th World Children’s Haiku Contest in the UK.

5 Nov

Sixth Form Japan Day at SOAS: Giving sixth form students throughout the UK an opportunity to experience
Japanese culture and learn about Japanese university degree programmes. The day combined cultural workshopswith a series of lectures including a key note speech by Sasumu Takiyama, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief
for Nikkei Europe Ltd. The event was attended by over 150 students and for the third consecutive year included
representatives from both British and Japanese universities.

6-11 Nov

We supported Kobe University Secondary School’s annual UK homestay exchange with their three partnerschools, Cirencester Deer Park School, Alleyn’s School in London and The Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester.

Small Grants

As at 30 November 2015, funding totalling £21,000 had been awarded in support of 38 grassroots projects in the UK. In line withthe objectives of the grants scheme, most of the activities supported had an educational element, fostered exchange between theUK and Japan, or provided opportunities to bring Japanese culture to a wide group of people.

12 primary schools and 10 secondary schools and youth groups were involved in extended projects, ranging from whole school
Japan days to interdisciplinary learning days and enrichment weeks. Japan Society support for these events allows schools to bringin experts to run specialist workshops to complement and enrich curriculum-based studies. A visit by students from a Japanese
partner school gave one secondary school the opportunity to run language learning activities with neighbouring primary schools,
while a group of teachers spent time preparing together in advance of a series of global education workshops with Japanesecounterparts in Fukushima, Tokyo and Kyoto.

Support for 2015’s Satsuma 150 celebrations allowed Izaku Taiko Odori and Satsuma Kenshi Hayato to visit primary schools inLondon and Oxford for special performances and workshops. A project being developed for 2016 will engage primary school
children in a series of visual and performance skill workshops inspired by Japanese prints in the collection of Blackburn Museumand Art Gallery. Other arts related projects include community and adult education workshops with visiting Bizen potter, Kazuya
Ishida, including a workshop, demonstration and lecture about the Bizen tradition and the potter’s experience. Master woodblockcarver Motoharu Asaka spent 10 days in the UK, conducting workshops and giving demonstrations and lectures at eight locations
including university art departments, printmaking studios and an art and design sixth form college.

Distinct Impressions: Prism 5 brought together 32 emerging printmakers for a shared exhibition including 14 from Japan and 10
from the UK. This was the fifth in a series of events which provide a forum for artistic exchange and education. Muscicity’s Reflectionsof Sumida along London’s Southbank presented a new way to experience Japan, allowing people to listen to recordings of Bashopoems in English and Japanese set against a soundscape of Tokyo’s Sumida river. Koto workshops and lectures by musicians from
Tokyo University of the Arts, provided inspiration for students of performance and composition at the Royal Academy of Music,
while Stirling University’s Japan Week included language classes, lectures, receptions as well as cultural events and performances.
Japan Society small grants also supported Japan festivals in Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Kent.