Japan Society Chairman's Blog (50)

Dear Japan Society members and friends

Long ago, I remember being on a visit to Moscow when a kind local resident advised me that if I wanted to understand something of Russia’s history, culture and even the Russian mentality I should be sure to fit in a visit to the Tretyakov Gallery and take a look at its remarkable collection of Russian art. It is perhaps a sign of these terrible times that when I looked up the gallery on the internet in order to get that link, I found that it is now entirely in Russian, whereas I imagine that in the past there was an English version. I think it was good advice, especially for someone like me with little previous knowledge of Russia and its imperial history, of that country’s extraordinary landscape and its close elite relationship with the rest of European culture too, especially the monarchic or imperial sort. That is why I thought about that advice when reading of the two splendid exhibitions of Japanese art that are currently open in London. One is highly monarchic or imperial, but it seems to me that the combination of the two also gives the visitor a wonderful picture of Japan.I am referring, as members based in or near London will doubtless know, to the Japan: Courts and Culture show that is open at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace until February 2023 and to Kyosai: the Israel Goldman Collection which is on at the Royal Academy until 19 June. Enhance your visit to the Courts and Culture exhibition by joining the Japan Society for a lecture by its curator Rachel Peat on 11 May. I haven’t yet visited that exhibition, but judging from the reviews – here is an example from The Guardian, but there have been many – this display of gifts and other exchanges between Japan and Britain from 1613 to the present day shows both the exquisite perfectionism of so much Japanese art, and the sort of face that at different times the Japanese elites wanted to show to the far-away power of Britain. Yet to see this alone as a representation of Japan would risk being rather like learning of Russian culture solely by looking at Faberge eggs. Hence, echoing my friend in Moscow, I would warmly recommend combining this experience with the wonderful, even riotous 19th century art of Kyosai, which I have already visited with great pleasure at the RA. Certainly, Kyosai is noteworthy to art historians for having bridged classical styles of painting with the more popular form seen in ukiyoe, but also to the rest of us for his prodigious consumption of sake before, during and after getting down to work. His birds and animals are lovely, but so too are his monsters, ghosts and other fantasies. And to have a sense of the glorious range of Japanese culture it is surely also beneficial to see his paintings of fart-fights as well as his, ahem, comic takes on shunga erotica.Such diversions are welcome escapes from the tragic reality of today’s world, with the war in Ukraine both needing our sustained attention and troubling us deeply on a daily basis. I am delighted that on Thursday 28 April we will welcome two very senior and well-connected figures from the UK and Japan to speak at our webinar on "The War in Ukraine: Where Next in the Military and Economic Battle with Russia". This event will be exclusively for Japan Society members and will be off the record, as the speakers are both in senior, government roles: from the UK we will welcome Sir Laurie Bristow, who served as UK ambassador to Moscow in 2016-2020 and then Ambassador to Afghanistan in 2021 before the withdrawal; and from Japan we will welcome Tadashi Maeda, who as Governor of the Japan Bank for International Co-operation has been closely involved with Japan’s many public-private infrastructure and energy investments in Russia. Do join us, at 9.00am (BST)/5.00pm (JST) for what promises to be a very informative discussion.We will naturally be organising further webinars on this issue in coming months, and I can say now that we are planning one shortly on China’s role in the current geopolitical turbulence as well as one more domestically focused on the development of corporate governance in Japan, following the big stories of Nissan and Toshiba but also the government-led reforms of recent years.One innovation I would like to draw members’ attention to is the launch of a Careers Networking Series jointly with the Japan Club at London Business School. On 20 April the second of these was held, on working in the gaming industry, following an also successful first event on careers in City professions. The aim is to hold these several times each year, showing for different sectors how those interested in working in Japan-related careers might do so, by having speakers explain how their own careers began and have developed. If any members or indeed companies would like to propose sectors and speakers for future events in this series, please do get in touch. It is great to be seeing so many young people at these events and to be collaborating with the enthusiastic MBA students at LBS.Last but not least, with April coming to a close, I would like to draw your attention also to the new Members' Corner on our Japan Society website, where this month we are inviting you to write about “My Ideal Hanami” and send photos or other audiovisuals of the cherry blossom parties you have known and loved. I look forward to seeing them.Bill

Japan Society Chairman's Blog (50)

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