What's On

As part of the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2024, with which the Japan Foundation is proud to partner, animation director OGAWA Iku is joining us for a very special talk revealing the behind-the-scenes of stop-motion film-making. Giving exclusive insights into the direction and character creation processes of the animated works he has been involved in, such as HIDARI (screened at the 2024 Kotatsu Festival) and Netflix's Pokémon Concierge, OGAWA will discuss what it is like to work in the Japanese animation industry - don't miss this rare opportunity to discover its fascinating inner workings!

For the first time, this talk will be given with British Sign Language interpretation.

This online talk is free to attend, but booking is essential.
Click here to book your place on Eventbrite.

We are proud to collaborate with the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation as they present Life on Planet Earth, photographer NOGUCHI Rika’s first UK solo exhibition since 2004.

Featuring both photographic and video works, the exhibition conveys a sense of wonder at being in the world from various perspectives: though NOGUCHI became known for the human figures her earlier works took up as their subjects, she has since broadened her practice to also explore the ways in which other creatures – birds, mammals, fish, and insects – experience our world. Humanity is not unaccounted for, however, with video works such as The Lucent Sea (2021/2023, commissioned by the Japan Foundation) and To the Night Planet (2015) investigating alienness and alienation among human beings.

Step into the world of Kabuki with six stunning kimonos worn by the legendary actor BANDO Tamasaburo V, known for his renowned onnagata roles (male actor who performs female roles). Experience the intricate artistry of these garments, highlighting a diverse range of complex textile techniques, encompassing weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and hand-painting. We are delighted to collaborate with the Ashmolean Museum.

Date: 21 November 2023 - 8 December 2024

Venue: The Ashmolean Museum

Click here for details

We’re delighted to support Arnolfini in Bristol as it presents esteemed Japanese photographer KAWAUCHI Rinko’s first major UK exhibition since 2006.

Rinko Kawauchi: At the edge of the everyday world features photography spanning across KAWAUCHI’s twenty-year-plus career, utilising even the smallest aspects of everyday life as a vessel by which to capture poetic reflections on themes of care, identity, sustainability, humanity, and nature.