Welcome
Are you interested in Japan? Its people? Its culture? Its language?
If so, come and join us!
Japan Society North West holds regular Japan-related events in the Manchester / Liverpool / Cheshire / Lancashire region.
What’s On
Upcoming JSNW Events
Our 2018 programme of events is supported by the The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Taiko Drumming Workshop
Saturday
23 March 2019 2.30 to 4.30 pm
Learn the basics of taiko drumming in this workshop led by Jared Hardwick of the Tengu School of Taiko.
Jared is a founding member of Kaminari UK Taiko Drummers. His passion for Taiko led Jared to start the school with an aim to provide access to this exciting Japanese performing art to adults and children alike, to experience something different, fun and enriching.
Since starting Taiko in 2007, Jared has gained substantial experience in performing, as well as teaching and leading classes and workshops both in schools and with adults. During his training, he has traveled to Japan to train with Yoshikazu Fujimoto of world renowned Japanese Taiko group 'Kodo'.
The cost is £9 for JSNW members, and £18 for non-members. If you would like to join this workshop please contact our Events Co-ordinator.
Venue: Whittle Hall Community Centre, Lonsdale Close, Great Sankey, Warrington WA5 3UA
What's On
Film Screening: Tampopo
Wednesday
30 January 12.30 pm and 7.00 pm
How far would you go for the perfect ramen? Tampopo is a brilliant underdog story of a roadside ramen shop vying to create the best ramen around. It’s a tasty combination of the tropes of the classic Western made hilarious by transposing them to Japan’s meticulous culinary scene. The titular Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) is guided in her quest by scrappy truck drivers Gun (Ken Watanabe) and Gorō (Tsutomu Yamazaki). In wicked parodies of film genres, they run her through a rigorous training process, steal secrets of broth-making and challenge other ramen-makers in Spaghetti Western (noodle Western?) style stand-offs.
Full details: Matinee screening, Evening screening
Venue: Squash, 112-114 Windsor Street, Liverpool L8 8EQ
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme returns in February 2019,
touring to 19 cities nationwide with a theme of “Love”. From contemporary
dramas to anime and classics, it is the largest of its kind focusing on
Japanese cinema in the UK.
20 FEBRUARY Good Stripes, 8.20pm
21 FEBRUARY Where Chimneys Are Seen, 6.10pm
22 FEBRUARY Of Love & Law, 6.00pm
23 FEBRUARY Yurigokoro, 5.40pm
24 FEBRUARY Tremble All You Want, 1.00pm
27 FEBRUARY Dear Etranger, 8.20pm
Venue: HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN
Japanese Art Exhibition
Saturday 5 January to Thursday 7 February 2019
This exhibition features 16 of Utagawa Hiroshige's ‘flora and fauna’ or ‘Flowers and Birds’ pictures which perfectly complement the wonder of RHS Garden Harlow Carr. These very special Japanese woodblock prints are not originals but have been made by hand using the same printing processes as the originals. The colours are simply stunning. They will be available to view and buy during the exhibition, which will also feature a pop-up shop by The Japanese Shop, which will be selling a variety of authentic Japanese gifts.
To learn more visit the RHS web site.
RHS Garden Harlow, Crag Lane, Harrogate HG3 1QB
Sir Peter Parker Awards for Spoken Business Japanese
Date
of contest: Wednesday 13th February 2019 at SOAS, University of London.
Applications are now being accepted for entry to the Sir Peter Parker Awards for Spoken Business Japanese.
The fantastic first prize comprises a premium economy ticket to Japan plus a Japan Rail Pass plus £1500 cash!
Open the flyer to learn more.
Audio Book: Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji)
The
Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari) is a classic work of Japanese literature
attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh
century, around the peak of the Heian Period. It is sometimes called the
world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first romance novel, or the
first novel to still be considered a classic.
The Genji was written for the women of the aristocracy (the yokibito) and has many elements found in a modern novel: a central character and a very large number of major and minor characters, well-developed characterization of all the major players, a sequence of events happening over a period of time covering the central character's lifetime and beyond. The work does not make use of a plot; instead, much as in real life, events just happen and characters evolve simply by growing older.
NOTE: this is a highly condensed version of the text, running to just under 200 pages, whereas the original is nearly 1000 pages long! librivox.org
In Our Time: Hokusai
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), the
Japanese artist whose views of Mt Fuji such as The Great Wave off Kanagawa
(pictured) are some of the most iconic in world art. He worked as Japan was
slowly moving towards greater contact with the outside world, trading with
China and allowing two Dutch ships to dock each year. From these ships he
picked up new synthetic colours and illustrations with Western compositions,
which he incorporated in his traditional wood block prints. The quality of
his images helped drive demand for prints among the highly literate Japanese
public, particularly those required to travel to Edo under feudal
obligations and who wanted to collect all his prints. As well as the quality
of his work, Hokusai's success stems partly from his long life and career.
He completed some of his most memorable works in his 70s and 80s and claimed
he would not reach his best until he was 110. BBC
iPlayer Radio
NHK World
Kabuki
is a world-class theater with a history of over 400 years, but is also
exciting entertainment. What is the secret of its enduring attraction?
Ichikawa Somegoro, brilliant member of the younger generation of actors,
guides us through the world of kabuki.
This is a monthly series on NHK World
You can watch NHK WORLD TV Live Streaming and
Japan Society Events
The
Japan Society in London organises a wide range of events. Visit their
web site for a full
list of upcoming events.
In Our Time: Japan's Sakoku Period
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Japan's Sakoku period, two centuries when the country deliberately isolated itself from the outside world. Sakoku began with a series of edicts in the 1630s which restricted the rights of Japanese to leave their country and expelled Europeans living there. It was not until 1858 and the "gunboat diplomacy" of the American Commodore Matthew Perry that Japan's international isolation finally ended.
BBC iPlayer Radio
Study Tours to Japan
Visit Akemi's web site for more information.
Japanese Food in Lymm
Japanese Food Specialists TK Trading set up shop in Lymm High School every other Saturday - see their
web site for the schedule.
Venue: Lymm High School, Oughtrington Lane, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 0RB
Japan Photos
Explore JapanPhotos.org.uk for a high resolution tour of Japan.
