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.
Upcoming JSNW Events
Japan Day
Saturday 1 June 2013 10:30 am - 5:00 pm
For the first time, our celebration of Japanese culture includes a cosplay competition!
And don't miss our Japan Day raffle - first prize is two tickets to Japan, courtesy of Finnair!
Japan Day is brought to you by Japan Society North West and the Embassy of Japan in the UK.
Entry to Japan Day is free. See JapanDay.org.uk for details.
For Japan Day car parking use the Q-Park on Epworth Street L6 1LY
Venue: Liverpool Hope University, Cornerstone Building, Creative Campus, Shaw Street, Liverpool L6 1HP
AGM
Saturday 15 June 2013 2:30 pm - 4:15pm
The guest speaker at this year's AGM will be Ian Reader, former Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester.
Immediately following Ian's talk, we will be holding our Annual General Meeting. The Society needs your support at this important meeting.
JSNW members only.
Venue: Padgate Community Centre, Station Road, Padgate, Warrington WA2 0QS
A Japanese Conversation Evening in Liverpool
TBA June 2013 7:00 - 9:00 pm Angela Davies, a very experienced instructor of Japanese, will host an evening of Japanese conversation, over delicious food at Etsu restaurant.
If you would like to attend this event please contact our Events Co-ordinator.
Venue: Etsu Japanese Restaurant, 25 The Strand, (off Brunswick Street) Liverpool, L2 0XJ
Ikebana Workshop
Saturday 13 July 2013 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Join an ikebana workshop by School of Ohara Ikebana Master Elizabeth Keikyu Murray.
Please bring pruning scissors / secateurs. Tea and cakes will be provided.
If you would like to attend this event please contact our Events Co-ordinator.
Venue: Padgate Community Centre, Station Road, Padgate, Warrington WA2 0QS
JSNW Social and Japanese Conversation Evening in Manchester
TBA July 2013 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Let’s have a drink, enjoy food, and meet someone new. Our former Newsletter Editor, Yuko Howes, who is also a Japanese tutor, will host this fun event. You don't need to be able to speak Japanese, so you can just relax. It might be a good idea to bring your photos or memorable things that you want to talk about.
If you would like to attend this event please email 
Venue: Samsi, 36-38 Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 3NR
Tea Ceremony
Saturday 14 September 2013 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Experience an authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Venue: Padgate Community Centre, Station Road, Padgate, Warrington WA2 0QS
The Accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, March 2011
Saturday 5 October 2013 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Join us for a talk by Richard Wakeford, Visiting Professor in Epidemiology at the Dalton Nuclear Institute of The University of Manchester.
A massive earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan on 11 March 2011 and the consequent tsunami caused a complete loss of electrical power at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station. Although the three reactors at the site that were operating at the time of the earthquake shut down as intended, the inability to remove residual heat from the reactors led to severe damage to the nuclear fuel, hydrogen explosions and large releases of radioactive materials to the atmosphere and sea. The Fukushima accident was the worst nuclear accident since that at Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986, but unlike at Chernobyl none of the emergency workers at Fukushima suffered early effects of overexposure to radiation in their efforts to bring the reactors under control. Nonetheless, communities within 20 km of the site were evacuated, and the large releases of radioactive materials to atmosphere led to significant contamination of surrounding areas, particularly to the north-west of the station, and much of the area within 20 km of the site (and beyond, to the north-west) remain evacuated. Assessments of the long-term health impact of the accident have concluded that the additional cancer risk experienced by the most exposed individuals is likely to be small, but the Japanese authorities face a substantial challenge in recovery work at the station and in the surrounding area, and this is likely to involve many years of intensive work. Official committees of inquiry in Japan have concluded that the Fukushima accident could have been prevented if sufficient attention had been paid to recommended safety measures.
Venue: to be confirmed
What's On
Japan's Sakoku Period
Thursday 4 April 2013 9:00 am and 9:30 pm Radio 4
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.
The Waving Cat of Japan
Come to Z-arts and join Krazy Kat Theatre in this fast moving and funny show, lasting 55 minutes it is suitable for ages 3- 7, their families and friends.
Maneki Neko ‘The Waving Cat’ is the Japanese cat-shaped figurine that is said to bring good luck and of whom there are many folk tales and legends. In this visually exciting new Sign Language Arts creation Krazy Kat celebrate their thirty year birthday by presenting a spectacular traditional Japanese puppet- style theatrical fantasy. A tropical storm, a wicked Sorceress, a not so smart Prince and three tricky tasks to perform before midnight? Yikes! Luckily, Maneki Neko the Waving Cat is on hand, or paw, to help.
For more details or to make a group booking email zoe@z-arts.org or ring 0161 232 6089
HYPER JAPAN
Noriko Ogawa in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
An interview with Japanese pianist, Noriko Ogawa which took place in December 2012 at Jaques Samuel Pianos in London.
Find out what kind of child Noriko was, and what kind of sound world she lives in in this biographical interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnm2Q5fJ-ds&feature=youtu.be
Doki Doki Festival
Saturday 9 November 2013 Visit dokidokifestival.com for details.
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
New Book
The Japanese Consul: The Life of James Lord Bowes in Liverpool
In 1888 the North West of England was honoured by the appointment of Liverpool wool Merchant James Lord Bowes as the first foreignborn Honorary Consul of the Japanese Empire in the United Kingdom. His collection of Japanese art works grew so extensively that it numbered well over two thousand pieces and, two years later, he constructed a large private museum of Japanese art in the grounds of his home, Streatlam Tower, in Princes Road.
Bowes opened the museum to the public to benefit the church and orphanage charities he supported in Liverpool, and published several books on Japanese art which are still being printed and which stand as part of the foundations of Western understanding of Japanese art. More
A book by local historian and Japanophile, L.S. Smith.
http://liverpoolhistorypress.co.uk/thejapaneseconsu.html
JSNW +
Welcome to the new catch-up service from jsnw! If you were busy this December, here's what you missed:
And here's what happened in August:
Japan Photos
Explore JapanPhotos.org.uk for a high resolution tour of Japan.
