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Watch the recording of this special event when Lord Howell joined Japan Society chairman Bill Emmott in a conversation spanning themes and observations from his over 40 year involvement in UK Japan relations.

Watch the recording of our webinar on Thursday 4 February when Japan Society chairman Bill Emmott was joined by David Henig and Pernille Rudlin to review the first month under the new arrangements of the Brexit UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Watch the video recording of the lecture by Antony Best who provided an overview of the trajectory of Britain’s relations with Japan since their modern opening in 1854 until the end of the alliance in 1922.

Watch the video of our webinar on Wednesday 20 January 2021 when Japan Society Chairman Bill Emmott discussed the strategies to achieve net carbon zero with two energy and climate change experts, Professor Naoko Ishii and Lord Adair Turner.

It is mid-January and the temple bells have long since fallen silent, but it still feels appropriate to say Shinnen Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu to you all, for 2020 had so many downs alongside the ups that we all need congratulating for having arrived at the new year, although that too has started with some downs of its own.

Join us on Thursday 4 March for a special talk introducing the Soroban (Japanese abacus) and explaining how it can be used as a classroom tool to help children visualise numbers and understand the decimal system, with soroban teacher Tomoko Hoult.

It is mid-January and the temple bells have long since fallen silent, but it still feels appropriate to say Shinnen Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu to you all, for 2020 had so many downs alongside the ups that we all need congratulating for having arrived at the new year, although that too has started with some downs of its own.

For once, we can certainly say that we didn’t go to the Annual Dinner for the food. Nor did we go to the Christmas Party for the drink, even though the Japan Society members who attended were taught how to make a nifty looking cocktail involving sake and cold tea.

Watch the video recording of our lecture about the aesthetics of comedy and the role of the comedian in Japanese media and society.

Watch the video of our webinar on Thursday 10 December when Japan Society Chairman Bill Emmott discussed the role of universities and their strategies to meet future challenges with Professor David Richardson, vice chancellor of the University of East Anglia, and Professor Yuko Takahashi, president of Tsuda University.