The Japan Society

Small Grants 2017

In 2017, the Japan Society Small Grants scheme gave support to 31 grassroots projects in the UK with some £21,000 in funding.

Our support is particularly focussed on education and community projects, where a small amount of additional funding can make a big difference. In many cases, the grants enable event organisers to reach a wider audience or to provide opportunities for the public to engage directly with performances or exhibitions.

Sixteen of the grants awarded were for projects taking place in schools or for activity involving young people. Several schools organised cross-curricular events such as a whole school Tanabata festival or Japanese culture week for a particular year group. King Edward VI Community College in Totnes organised an ambitious exhibition much enjoyed by the local community and accompanied by a range of art and craft , music, dance and food workshops for students. At other schools, it was the library which provided the Japan focus with literature workshops or manga clubs for language learners. The British Cartographic Society continued its Restless Earth workshop series using the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami as a case study to learn about disaster response activities: with a small grant enabling additional schools to be visited.

Once again the Society also supported projects involving young people outside the school system. A ten day residential in Winchester provided opportunities for children and young people with learning difficulties to participate in a ten day arts programme focused on Japan. Another project involved high achieving young people and their families to learn new skills and explore Japanese culture in a supportive environment. The Society supported the Kotatsu Japanese animation Festival, which expanded its activity in 2017 and involves local schools, universities and arts institutions.

Other projects supported in 2017 include: The Museum of East Asian Art in Bath which used a small grant to extend the reach of the ‘Dressed to Impress: Japanese Men’s Fashion’ exhibition with a programme of accompanying talks and workshops; the Japanese Garden Society’s two day conference, where speakers discussed the spread of Japanese gardens across the world and their adaptation to local conditions; a special screening of the 1926 avant-garde film ‘A Page of Madness’ with benshi narration; and a programme of lectures to accompany ‘Japanese Junction’ an exhibition of work by emerging Japanese architects and designers.

Small grants also supported community-based Japan festivals in Basildon, Bath, Cambridge, Derry-Londonderry and Kent.


Japan Society Small Grants - How to Apply


To learn more about the Japan Society Small Grants Scheme, its guidelines and application process visit our overview page. If you have any questions or issues, please contact us at grants@japansociety.org.uk.

Manga Book Club

Manga Book Club

A Manga Book Club for Year 7 and 8 students at The Royal Grammar School in Guildford, offering insight into an aspect of Japanese culture and increasing interest in Japanese studies.

JAEFF: Screening Of ‘A Page of Madness’

JAEFF: Screening Of ‘A Page of Madness’

Screening of ‘A Page of Madness’ (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1926) with live narration from a renowned benshi and traditional Japanese musical accompaniment.

Brogdale Collections: Hanami Experience and Festival

Brogdale Collections: Hanami Experience and Festival

A one day 'hanami' festival celebrating Japanese culture with a wide range of activities including a tea ceremony demonstration, taiko drumming, workshops, an exhibition of Japanese artifacts plus tours of Brogdale Farm’s vast collection of cherry trees.

Celebrating Tanabata Festival with a Japan Day

Celebrating Tanabata Festival with a Japan Day

To coincide with Tanabata Festival, students from St Joseph’s Catholic School in Broadstairs, Kent took part in a number of activities to celebrate the cultural richness of Japan and included a visit from Japanese students from Chaucer College.

CreativiTEA - wake up the wonder!

CreativiTEA - wake up the wonder!

A series of workshops aimed at diverse groups in the community including school children, focusing on the creative arts of haiku poetry and ceramics and featuring Japanese poet Hiroshi Taniuchi.

Cultural Week

Cultural Week

A cultural week in the summer term for Year 5 students to learn Japanese culture and authentic music before they begin Japanese Language in September.

Family Challenge Day

Family Challenge Day

A one day event providing an opportunity for families to work together to learn about Japanese culture and language and to try their hand at playing Go.

Japan Festival 2017

Japan Festival 2017

A one day festival organised by Bath - Beppu Friendship Association with a wide range of activities including calligraphy, haiku, origami, games, crafts and dressing up in kimono.

Japanese Netsuke Exhibition and Events

Japanese Netsuke Exhibition and Events

A programme of talks and art and craft workshops planned to run alongside an exhibition of netsuke at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath.

Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2017

Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2017

An anime style drawing workshop led by a specialist manga artist, and a calligraphy workshop for children and young people in Cardiff.