What's On

Date: Friday 23 January 6pm - 7.30pm GMT

Venue: Lecture Theatre 2, Sir Bob Burgess Building, University of Leicester, Freemen's Common, LE2 7TF*

Online Streaming Available via Zoom

Are you someone with a general interest in Japanese culture and society? Or are you a sixth form student or current university student, either studying Japanese language or with an interest in learning more about Japan? Why not come and listen to our next lecture as part of our seminar series: 'Exploring the World of Japanese Studies'!

Our third talk, Beyond Words: Understanding Japanese Society Through Literature and Translation, is hosted by the University of Leicester.

Talk Description

In recent years, Japanese literature has been gaining attention in the UK. Reading literature offers much more than the enjoyment of a story; it provides a window into the social and cultural values that shape it. This session explores how literary works help us understand Japanese society and the wider world, and how we can make sense of Japanese literature's recent growth in popularity. We will also consider what happens when such works are translated from Japanese into English: how is the cultural context of the original text conveyed, adapted, or transformed in the process? For example, we will consider how onomatopoeic expressions used commonly in Japanese can be translated to be understood worldwide.

To discuss these questions, we will bring together a literary scholar, a specialist in translation studies, and a professional translator working between Japanese and English.

*Arriving by car: There is a paid car park available for visitors.

Paid car park: The Freemen's multi-storey car park is the closest parking space to the Sir Bob Burgess building. Access to the car park is on Putney Road (please see the map above). The cost for 3 to 6 hours will be £2.50, payable by card (no cash). THIS CAR PARK IS ACCESSIBLE FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS.

About the Speakers

	Dr Michael Tsang is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies and Programme Director for BA Japanese Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. His research focuses on world literature, postcolonial literature, and popular culture with an emphasis on East Asia. He has published widely in journals and edited volumes, including Murakami Haruki and Our Years of Pilgrimage (co-edited with Gitte Marianne Hansen: Routledge, 2021). He is also a creative writer and has published tanka poetry in English.
	Professor Nana Sato-Rossberg is a leading scholar in the field with expertise in Japan and East Asia. She is currently Chair of the Centre for Translation Studies at SOAS, and the programme convener for the BA Translation pathway and MA Translation and Intercultural Studies. She is also an Executive Council member of the International Association of Translation and Intercultural Studies and the co-founder of the East Asian Translation Studies conference series (since 2014). She is author of thre monographs and five co-edited books, including Translation and Translation Studies in the Japanese Context (co-edited with Judy Wakabayashi, Bloomsbury, 2012) and 「翻訳と文学 (Translation and Literature)」(ed. Misuzu, 2021).
	Ms Joanna Dare is University Librarian at De Montfort University in Leicester. Alongside her work as a university librarian, Joanna Dare is active as an emerging literary translator and Coordinator of the East Midlands Regional Group of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. She studied Japanese at the University of Sheffield, and Translation Studies at Portsmouth University. She currently studies Japanese through the Languages at Leicester programme at the University of Leicester. In 2020, she won second prize in the 4th Japanese Literature Publishing Project International Translation Competition, followed by first place in the Institute of Translation and Interpreting Japanese Network Translation Competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

This event is free to attend, but registration is essential for online and in-person attendees.

Organised by The Japan Foundation	With support from University of Leicester

The UCL-Japan Youth Challenge is back again! This is a prestigious annual summer school programme.

In this summer school, pre-university students from Japan and the UK attend a series of university-style lectures on a wide range of subjects by academics from UCL, and engage in UCL Grand Challenge Workshop, which aims to investigate one of the social issues in the world and explore solutions to it through discussion between Japanese and UK-based participants. It is a great opportunity for young people interested in cultural exchange and in getting some unviersity experience.

2026 will be the 11th year of the programme. It will be held in three places in the UK:

Rikkyo School in England, West Sussex;

University of Cambridge, Cambridge;

and UCL, London.

Dates: Saturday 25 July – Sunday 2 August 2026 (9 days)*

Fee for UK-based participants: 800 GBP

*Not all dates are compulsory to attend.

For full details and to apply, please visit the official website here: https://www.ucl-japan-youth-challenge.com/join-us/

Dates: Thursday 26 - Friday 27 February 2026

Venue: The University of Sheffield

Registration for the 2026 iteration of the Japan Foundation/British Association for Japanese Studies PhD Workshop, "Navigating Your Future in Japanese Studies" is now open!

If you are a PhD student conducting research related to Japan, why not come along for our workshop which aims to support the ongoing development and future of Japanese Studies in the UK?

This time, we have decided to host the workshop over two days to allow more opportunity for insightful workshops and networking, enabling attendees to build valuable connections with Japanese Studies students and researchers across the UK.

We have listened to feedback from previous workshops and concerns of postgraduate students in Japanese Studies, and have decided to focus this workshop on how to navigate the changing landscape and job market in Japanese Studies.

Exact sessions at the workshop are yet to be finalised but the tentative timetable is below.

*Please note: We are still in the early planning stages and the following is subject to change*

Please note: attendees to the workshop must be able to attend both days.

Student Submissions:

As an essential part of the workhop, PhD and MA students will be asked to present their research in front of a small group of peers. Further information about this will be provided after the registration deadline has passed. However, if you have any questions please get in touch.

Financial Support: 

The following financial support is available to presenting attendees.

Travel Grant: JF will offer a partial travel grant for student participants. Once an initial 30 GBP is covered by the student, JF will provide up to a maximum of 90 GBP for public transportation to the event. For any questions, please contact Iona Vos using the contact emails at the bottom of this item.

Hotel Grant: BAJS will cover a one night stay up to a maximum of 90 GBP per attendee. If you have any questions about the hotel grant, please email BAJS Secretary Mara Patessio at mp78@soas.ac.uk.

Please note:

Attendance to this event is capped at 40 students on a first come, first served basis. As the number of participants is limited, please only register if you know you can attend both days of the workshop.

Current Ph.D. students will be prioritised. MA students will be placed on a waitlist, with places being confirmed after the deadline has passed.

If you have registered but can no longer attend, please contact us to cancel your place.

Contact

If you have any questions about the workshop, please email Iona Vos at LO_JapaneseStudies@jpf.go.jp. Please CC Natsumi_Abe@jpf.go.jp (Manager for Japanese Studies) and Iona_Vos@jpf.go.jp (Assistant Programme Officer for Japanese Studies).