Past Events

Based on her book Ravens & Red Lipstick: Japanese Photography since 1945, Dr Lena Fritsch surveys modern Japanese photography, looking at the work of Moriyama, Sugimoto, and other major figures.

With access to antique books as well as original Ukiyoe prints on the theme of Chiyoda Palace Inner Quarters, a small group of Japan Society members are guided by curators, David Wertheim and Wojtek Doria, to the exhibition that is articulated around a set of magnificent triptychs by Chikanobu Toyohara (1838-1912) depicting life in the ancient women's quarters of the shogunal castle.

The Japan Society is pleased to present Japanese woodblock printing workshop led by a London-based artist Hiroko Imada

In this special event, Japan Society members and friends are invited to join the explorative folk musician, OKI with wife, Rekpo and son, Manaw in conversation with Dr Eiko Soga before their performance at St Marys Music Hall, London.

Circles of Stone: Stonehenge and Prehistoric Japan is an exhibition celebrating the rich culture of prehistoric Japan. Through a number of exquisite objects, some seen for the first time outside of Japan, the exhibition tells the story of Japanese settlements and stone circles of the middle and late Jomon periods, roughly the same time that Stonehenge was built and used.

Following our popular kakizome workshop in January, Japan Society is pleased to host a shochu mimai (summer greeting cards) workshop with calligrapher Yoko Takenami.

We are delighted to invite members and friends to a special private view of Elena Gileva’s exhibition Enso: Coming Full Circle at White Conduit Project.

Suitable even for complete beginners, in this workshop you will learn how Japanese characters were developed, discover different styles of writing, and be guided in the techniques for writing Japanese with a brush. You will come away with your own piece of calligraphy – a positive word encapsulating hopes for 2023. This is a wonderful opportunity to try this quintessential Japanese art led by a professional calligrapher.

Japan has had an exceptionally long and successful history of ceramic production and kutani ware, which originates from Ishikawa in the north-western region of Hokuriku, is one of the oldest forms of Japanese porcelain. In the second of our talks by artists from Ishikawa Prefecture, we welcome Keigo Kamide, a sixth-generation ceramicist of Kutani Choemon, a kiln that has been producing Kutani ware for over 130 years.

Kaga yūzen is a traditional dyeing technique that is used in the creation of fabrics for kimono. Join us for a special talk with master of kaga yuzen, Hitoshi Maida. This in-person event will not only allow us to engage with the speaker directly, it will also give us the opportunity to see and touch examples of work he will bring in to display.