Events
Two Cultures United by TeaThis tea event was a highlight of the Japan400 Week, marking the delivery of official letters and presents from King James I of England and VI of Scotland to [...] Review by Susan Meehan
Films & Series
Throne of BloodDirected by Akira Kurosawa This movie is an interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the story is focused around Washizu who is a general for the lord of spider web castle. The movie brings together [...] Review by Mike Sullivan
Films & Series
From up on Poppy HillDirected by Goro Miyazaki This production follows a common theme in Studio Ghibli movies of innocent romance and the coming of age of teenagers, this time set in 1960s Yokohama. Review by Mike Sullivan
Books
SchoolgirlBy Osamu Dazai Schoolgirl was the first of Dazai’s published works, and gained him national acclaim. The novella is set in Tokyo during the Second World War, a time of [...] Review by Chris Corker
Films & Series
Kiki’s Delivery ServiceDirected by Hayao Miyazaki The story is based on a Japanese children’s book written in 1985 by Eiko Kadono and was adapted by the master of animation Hayao Miyazaki in 1989. The English release [...] Review by Lucy Searles
Books
Across A Bridge of DreamsBy Lesley Downer This book centres on the story of Saigo Takamori, one of the most romanticised and pivotall samurai of the 19th century, who also provided a model for [...] Review by Christopher Searle
Events
Britain & Japan – 400 Years: A Voyage Through Words and MusicThis was an absolutely brilliant evening of uplifting music, verse and spectacle to mark four centuries since the UK and Japan initiated official ties. Review by Sean Curtin
Books
Clouds above the HillBy Shiba Ryōtarō This book, considered to be the author's most popular work, centres on the lives of two brothers, Akiyama Yoshifuru and Akiyama Saneyuki, and their friend, the poet [...] Review by Mark Headley
Books
1Q84By Haruki Murakami On her way to kill a man in a Shibuya hotel, Aomame is forced to take a shortcut from the bridge, climbing down a ladder. After the man is dead, Aomame begins to notice subtle differences [...] Review by Chris Corker
Books
Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese TroupeBy Frederik l. Schodt The author, who has written other books about popular Japanese culture, gives a colourful account of the life and travels of Richard Risley Carlisle, who [...] Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi