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
A Message from the Chairman of Japan Society North West
In the light of current events JSNW have taken the decision not to host any events until mid-May. We will, of course, keep the situation under constant review and will post further updates as and when the situation changes. We will continue to share items of interest on our social media/website and hope all our members and supporters can continue to stay in touch and support each other. We would like to thank everyone for their support.
Tim Evans
Japan Day
Due to the difficulties posed by the current situation we have taken the
decision to postpone Japan Day until next year. We have contacted Liverpool
Guild of Students and we have agreed a new date. The date is now Saturday
July 3rd 2021.
Thank you for your interest in our festival, we hope you are able to join us on the new date. If you have any questions or issues please contact our Events Coordinator (Nigel) at events@jsnw.org.uk.
We would like to thank all of you for your support. Take care and thank you for your understanding.
What's On
Handmade in Japan
Series looking at traditional Japanese crafts and craftspeople. iPlayer
On the island of Kyushu in Japan, one of the country's last remaining families of Samurai sword makers are continuing a tradition their ancestors began 230 years ago. Working with his brother and son, Shiro Kunimitsu is dedicated to perfecting the art of producing swords of exceptional sharpness and durability. This film follows Shiro and his family as they lovingly craft a sword - a process that takes many months.
2. The Kimono
The second episode takes us to the remarkable island of Amami Oshima in the southern oceans of Japan, to follow the elaborate handmade production of a traditional Japanese kimono. Over five hundred people are involved in producing the island's famous mud-dyed silk which takes many months to produce. The film follows the painstaking process of the silk being bound, hand dyed, woven and finally turned into a kimono by a seamstress.
The final episode features one of Japan's most famous family of potters - the Hamadas. Shoji Hamada was a major figure in the Mingei folk art movement of the 1920s and '30s and helped turn the town of Mashiko into a major centre of ceramics, famous for its thick and rustic pottery. He also spent time in Britain where he taught renowned St Ives potter Bernard Leach the art of Japanese pottery. Today, his grandson Tomoo Hamada continues the family tradition and this film follows him at work, painstakingly shaping his pots and firing them in an old-style wood-fuelled kiln.
The Secret World of Japanese Bicycle Racing with Sir Chris Hoy
Olympic icon Sir Chris Hoy heads to Japan, host of next year's Tokyo Games, to explore the Japanese phenomenon of the keirin, the most extreme and exciting event in track cycling. A test of controlled pacing then a tactical fight to the line, keirin is a sport in its own right in its country of origin, and is steeped in the history and rituals that make Japanese culture so unique. Attending keirin school is a once in a lifetime opportunity for international riders, and back in 2005, multiple Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris was one of the first Britons to be invited to savour the ultimate experience in the career of any track cyclist. He now makes a nostalgic return. iPlayer
Ask the Armouries Japanese Armour
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
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
Radio Taiso
Japan Photos
Explore JapanPhotos.org.uk for a high resolution tour of Japan.
