The Japan Society

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UK – Japan Costume Design Contest Winners

UK – Japan Costume Design Contest Winners

Choosing the winners for our UK-Japan Costume Design Contest was extremely difficult, however, after much careful deliberation, we are delighted to announce the results!

Join Us for Tanabata at St John's Wood Library

Join Us for Tanabata at St John's Wood Library

Join The Japan Society at St Johns Wood Library for an afternoon celebration of the Tanabata Star Festival with origami, crafts and storytelling! The Tanabata Story is presented by Haruka Kuroda (from the British Japanese theatre company; A Thousand Cranes) using kamishibai, a traditional form of illustrated storytelling from Japan.

Design Contest – UK-Japan Costume for the Emperor and Empress Dolls

Design Contest – UK-Japan Costume for the Emperor and Empress Dolls

To celebrate the Emperor and Empress's visit to the UK, The Japan Society invites children to design a UK-Japan costume for a set of traditional emperor and empress hina dolls.

18th World Children’s Haiku Contest 2023-2024 – Winners

18th World Children’s Haiku Contest 2023-2024 – Winners

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 18th World Children's Haiku Contest 2022. The Japan Society would like to thank everyone for their support of this year’s contest and for their patience in waiting for the results.

Schools Invited to Join Inaugural UK Ekiden!

Schools Invited to Join Inaugural UK Ekiden!

The Inaugural UK Ekiden is looking for schools in the UK to be a part of the special race by holding their own mini-ekiden on the same day. Ekiden is a long-distance multi-stage relay race in Japan. Inspired by this running tradition in Japan, and particularly the 100-year anniversary of Japan’s most famous ekiden, the Hakone Ekiden, the UK now has its very own race!

Soroban Workshop at University of Reading

Soroban Workshop at University of Reading

Last month, The Japan Society visited the University of Reading with Tomoko Hoult to deliver two soroban workshops.

The Japan Youth Collective's Discover Japan Day

The Japan Youth Collective's Discover Japan Day

On Saturday 6 April, The Japan Youth Collective hosted an event at Japan House London to mark the end of the of their time on the programme. The event, Discover Japan Day, was designed and organised by the Collective themselves with the aim of promoting Japan and giving other young people a chance to experience Japanese culture first-hand. 

The Japan Society Spring MiniFest - Photos

The Japan Society Spring MiniFest - Photos

On Saturday 2 March 2024, we are pleased to have hosted The Japan Society Spring MiniFest in West Kensington with the aim of introducing young people of various ages to Japanese culture and its various art forms.

The Japan Youth Collective – January Japan Lab with Fumio Obata

The Japan Youth Collective – January Japan Lab with Fumio Obata

For their first Japan Lab after the New Year, the Japan Youth Collective met with graphic novelist Fumio Obata who shared insights about manga and the manga industry.

The Japan Youth Collective – New Year Catch-Up and Wagashi Workshop

The Japan Youth Collective – New Year Catch-Up and Wagashi Workshop

For their first Catch-Up session after the winter break, The Japan Youth Collective learned about Japanese New Year customs and traditions and designed their very own ema board with wishes for the new year.