09/03/2026ONLINE EVENT - The Japan Society Book Club: Spring Castle by Michiko Ishimure
Spring Castle is the epic story of Japan's bloody Shimabara Rebellion, told through the eyes of the peasants and former samurai who rose up their oppressors with extraordinary bravery.
16/03/2026Reconsidering the Samurai - with Rosina Buckland
In this lecture, Rosina Buckland, Head of the Japanese Section at the British Museum, will explain the thinking behind the British Museum exhibition on the iconic global figure of the samurai.
10/08/2026IN-PERSON EVENT - The Japan Society Book Club: Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka
Grave of the Fireflies is a stark and devastating account of two siblings struggling to survive in Japan during the final months of the Second World War.
12/10/2026IN-PERSON EVENT - The Japan Society Book Club: The Traitor by Kobo Abe
The Traitor offers a bleak meditation on betrayal, power, and moral uncertainty, revealing how individuals are compromised by political control and pervasive fear.
14/12/2026IN-PERSON EVENT - The Japan Society Book Club: Troubled Waters by Ichiyo Higuchi
Troubled Waters is a collection of five stories depicting everyday lives on the margins of Meiji‑era Tokyo with lyrical restraint.