The Japan Foundation London was proud to work with UCL for the 11th year of the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge!
This is a prestigious week-long summer school, bringing together high school students from schools around Japan and pre-university students from the UK for a week of lectures, tours, and cultural exchange. It is a great opportunity for young people to get a taste of university life in the UK, while making new friends and practicing their communication skills in a multicultural environment.
We were pleased to see a high number of students from the UK attending this year, showing the interest that young people have in attending a programme that promotes interaction between Japan and the UK.
The welcome day was held at the Rikkyo School in Surrey. This was an opportunity for the students to present and introduce themselves! The Japanese students introduced their schools, home towns, hobbies, and personal interests. Next, the UK participants welcomed the Japanese participants and introduced themselves one by one.
In the afternoon, the students participated in ice breaking sports activities. Then, they enjoyed a barbecue together on a sunny evening!
On Sunday, the students visited Cambridge for a day of sight-seeing, punting, and a formal dinner in the beautiful dining hall at Corpus Christi College.
The following day, they began their lectures at the University of Cambridge! Over the course of the day, they heard eight lectures on different topics, from neurobiology to robotics as well as physiology, from professors and doctors at the university.
On Tuesday they travelled to UCL to participate in the Grand Challenge Workshop! The theme for this year’s workshop was ‘Space and Us’, asking students to consider potential solutions to global issues. They began by defining their agreement to work well with one another, before discussing some pre reading that they had been set on topics such as personalized medicines, life expectancy, high emission rates, the climate crisis and space exploration. The students discussed the social, political, economic, technological, legal and environmental implications of the news items.
They were then split into their presentation groups for the symposium, and worked together to identify their key issues, the support that was available, and potential solutions. The students shared all of their ideas in English, ensuring to involve each individual in the discussions, and they left the workshop well equipped with ideas to prepare for their presentations in the symposium.
As in previous years, a representative from Scriberia provided live sketches of what the students discussed in the workshop
On Wednesday, the participants visited the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Didcot, Oxford. They spent the day learning about the work that Harwell are undertaking in Energy, Space, Health and Quantum Computing, and listened to talks about the Diamond Light Source research, Oxford Space Systems, and Space Clusters.
On Thursday, it was a return to UCL for a full day of interesting talks and lectures, including from representatives from the Embassy of Japan in the UK and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences London. They also heard introductions to UCL and Tohoku University and admissions, and lectures in the fields of linguistics, nanotechnology, and civil engineering.
The Japan Foundation London also informed the students of their events and grant programmes, giving the students a little insight into what it is like to work for a cross cultural organization.
Friday was the day of the symposium. In the morning, the students received a tour of the UCL campus, before practicing their presentations.
Then the symposium began. Prof Shin-ichi Ohnuma from UCL introduced everyone to the UCL-Japan relationship, the summer school programme, and thanked the sponsors for their support for the event.
During the symposium, Mr Yutaro Tanaka from Mitsubishi Electric spoke about their SLIM project to create machinery to carry out research on the moon, as well as ways in which Mitsubishi have supported space exploration. Dr Mikako Matsuura from Cardiff University talked about the exciting research that can be conducted using a space telescope. Ms Keshini Navaratnam, an international affairs and media expert, spoke about the changing modern landscape and the relationship between media and international law.
The student presentations were next! The participants had been instructed to create 3 minute presentations on the topics they had explored during the Grand Challenge Workshop earlier on in the week. The topics included preservation of cultural heritage sites, preparation for natural disaster, urban climates and biodiversity in smallholder farming. Each presentation was followed by a question from the audience. We were struck once again by how well carefully considered all the ideas in the presentations were, and the power of communication.
In the latter half of the symposium, Prof Andrew Coates from UCL informed us of UCL’s contribution to investigating life on Mars, and the Rover that UCL was helping to build. Prof Masahiro Yamaguchi from Tohoku University detailed the impact of Quantum Physics on the universe. Finally, Mr George Cann from Foster & Partners spoke about his work on designing permanent structures to be built on the moon.
The symposium ended with Japanese high school students giving the speakers gifts from their home towns, and a huge round of applause from the audience for all of the hard work that the students had carried out this week!
We then had a reception, where students from Fukushima prefecture spoke in English about the impact of the 3.11 triple disaster on their home towns. The students highlighted that issues that might seem local can actually be relevant on a global scale. This reflected the importance of continued cross-cultural communication, to keep sharing information about issues around the world.
Congratulations to the participants of the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge!
We would like to commend the organisers of the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge from UCL and Japan at UK for another successful programme. We would also like to thank the supporters and sponsors of the event, and we hope to continue to work together in the future on events that promote intercultural exchange and mutual understanding.
Click here to visit the official programme website.
©Scriberia, 2025. UCL-Japan Youth Challenge Illustration
On Friday 4 July, The Japan Foundation London hosted a seminar at Lancaster University, as part of our new series, Exploring the World of Japanese Studies.
This new series aims to display the breadth and diversity within Japanese Studies, to inspire and motivate future researchers as well as to shine a light on the to the research being conducted at various universities around the UK to the general public!
We took the opportunity when partnering with Lancaster University’s Anime symposium that took place earlier on the 4th July (read the event report about that symposium here) to host a separate lecture that same evening.
This event was the first in our new seminar series, and was titled Ghibli in the Machine: AI Controversies and the Appropriation of Anime, with Dr Zoe Crombie (Associate Lecturer in Film Studies at the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, Lancaster University) and Prof Rayna Denison (Professor of Film and Digital Arts and the University of Bristol).
The event was a hybrid event, and the general public were encouraged to attend, as well as university and sixth form students with an interest in Japanese Studies.
We were joined by a sizable online and in-person audience, with a total of approximately 60-70 audience members!
Dr Crombie started the seminar by providing the background on the topic, giving the audience an in depth history of Studio Ghibli before contextualising the topic by exploring AI and its wider use in society, before looking at its recent impact on the animation studio when a recent AI filter that transformed existing images into “Ghibli”-fied versions. Dr Crombie questioned how successful the filter was, as well as the potential repercussions for the animation studio. She also brought up the ethical, cultural, aesthetic and economic implications of using Artificial Intelligence tools, and how appropriation can end up misrepresenting the original creator’s intentions.
Prof. Denison then provided examples of AI “trailers” for films, and further questioned the legality of using original material. It was a fascinating exploration of the use of AI and potential future use of AI by production companies, and the impact this could have on workers. She considered that AI is not considered as a solely negative thing, being used already in the industry, and that it has some positive attributes that are worth bearing in mind. However, we were left to consider what the future holds for Anime, and what the human and environmental cost of Artificial Intelligence might be.
Dr Crombie then gave an introduction to what Japanese research looks like at an institution like Lancaster University, that does not have a dedicated Japanese degree programme, but still attracts and employs academics and researchers who have an interest in Japan.
We ended with a Q&A session that invited many questions from the audience, both in-person and online. Questions ranged from copyright issues, the distribution and selling of AI materials, the ethical and material difference between human-created work and AI-created work. It was an incredibly interesting discussion that provided much food for thought, and is a topic that we were left to consider long after the lecture finished.
We would like to sincerely thank Dr Zoe Crombie and Prof Rayna Denison for their cooperation and hard work in creating and delivering the seminar.
We would also like to thank Dr Zoe Crombie a second time for her hard work in helping us host the seminar, and Lancaster University for all of their cooperation.
We will be hosting another lecture in the Exploring the World of Japanese Studies Seminar Series later on in the year, so keep your eye out on our website and social media pages for updates!
We look forward to seeing you at a future event!
Journal of Anime and Manga Studies Publication
*The proceedings of the following symposium have now been published on the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies*. This is freely available to the public and available online!
Access the journal here: Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Proceedings from Transnational Perspectives on Anime: A Symposium | The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies
Event Report
We were proud to partner with Lancaster University on this one day symposium, “Transnational Perspectives on Anime” that took place on Friday 4 July.
This symposium brought together experts in their field, academics and students, to discuss and contemplate Anime and its impact around the world and on different aspects of society.
The day started with a keynote speech from Dr Jonathan Clements who gave us an insight into the history of animation in China and its fluctuating relationship with anime, not only in terms of the audience market but also its impact in production, the politics of distribution, and the impact of the government on the animation industry.
This led us neatly into the first panel, ‘Anime, Nation and Race’. Zizhou Zhang (PhD candidate, University of East Anglia) delved into ‘Donghua’, or Chinese animation, and how the Chinese animation industry has started to develop its own culturally distinct identity. Khushboo Bansal (PhD candidate, University of Delhi) spoke about the role of Indian broadcast censorship in shaping Anime Narratives for Domestic Viewers. Cerise Jackson (PhD candidate, University of Oxford)’s talk on New Frameworks for ‘Black Anime’ and Beyond considered the depictions of black people in anime and what constitutes ‘Black Anime’, as well as the clear need for further research on the topic.
After a short break for tea and coffee, we entered the second panel of the day, New Approaches to the Transnational Anime Text.
Helen McCarthy (independent researcher) raised the dilemma of an ageing generation in Japan, and the impact that this might have on anime in terms of its popularity and the target market, whether this might mean that the target market shifts or new countries arise as leaders in the genre. Dr Dorothy Finan (University of Leeds) discussed Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) and hololive, and the phenomenon of fan relationships with animated characters with agency. Dr Simone Shu-Yeng Chung (Université Grenoble Alpes) brought an architectural viewpoint to the discussion, by showing us how animators portray space to enable viewers to ‘feel’ motion and movement.
We then paused for lunch, before returning for Prof Rayna Denison (University of Bristol)’s keynote talk, ‘The Transnational History in Anime‘ which considered the impact on anime of historical events such as the Meiji restoration and the move from isolation to transnationalism.
Panel 3, Ghibli (and Pre-Ghibli) Transnational Interactions began with Dr Manuel Hernández-Pérez (University of Salford) who examined the spread and influence of Heidi, girl of the Alps (1974) in Francoist Spain, and how it laid the foundations for the perception of animation as a legitimate cultural product. Nick Anderson (PhD candidate, Eastman School of Music) discussed the European songs used in Porco Rosso and The Wind Rises and how crossing borders musically can produce cinematic hauntologies. Dr Shiro Yoshioka (Newcastle University) delved into the transition from ‘Anime’ to ‘Ghibli/Miyazaki Anime’, and the conscious move away from ‘anime’ by Studio Ghibli in the pursuit of commercial and critical success.
The final part of the day, Panel 4, Adapting History and Culture, began with Prof. Livia Monnet (University of Montreal) who demonstrated that Yuasa Masaaki’s animated film Inu-Oh (2021) and how it reenvisions animation and performance as subversies philosophies. Antonio Rivera Arnaldos (PhD candidate, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)’s talk analysed Gisaku (2005) as an exercise in cultural diplomacy and transnational media adaptation, appropriating anime to visualise Spain’s historical and cultural identity. Maria Chiara Oltolini (Universita Cattolica) ended the panel by examining the Japanese anime adaptation of The Swiss Family Robinson , entitled Family Robinson castaway story: Flone of the mysterious island (1981). Maria considered how the series engaged with and revised different narrative archetypes, as well as paying attention to representations of female and male characteristics in the anime.
Each panel was followed by an enthusiastic Q&A session where the attendees asked interesting and thoughtful questions to each speaker. The day was full of interesting discussion about the transnational nature of anime, with participants from around the world discussing the impact of anime on different cultures and countries. It was very interesting to reflect on the history of anime, as well as what the future of the genre might look like as it continues to evolve, take on new definitions and innovations!
The Japan Foundation London is grateful to have attended and partnered with Lancaster University on this event which was a true representation of how exciting and varied research on Japan can be, and aligned with the Japan Foundation’s mission to encourage intercultural exchange.
We would like to thank Lancaster University, especially the organiser of this event Dr Zoe Crombie, for their hard work in carrying out this one-day symposium.
I am Kaoru MIYAMOTO. I have succeeded Mr. Shin-ichi TANAKA as Director of the Japan Foundation London.
During my time here, I am looking forward to working in London and hope to have the opportunity to explore many other areas of the UK.
The Japan Foundation London has a great relationship with many individuals and institutions around the country, and I am excited to get to know many of you!
The Japan Foundation will continue in its goal to carry out various projects to promote interest in Japan, for the friendship between the United Kingdom and Japan to keep flourishing.
I sincerely appreciate your continued support.
Kaoru MIYAMOTO
Director of The Japan Foundation London
Professor Simon Kaner, (Executive Director of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures)’s talk, ‘How Japanese Arts and Cultures Make Us Happier’ is now available to watch on YouTube!
On Friday 18 October, 2024, The Japan Foundation Awards 2024 Commemorative Event was held in Tokyo, to celebrate the recipients of the award.
SISJAC was one of these recipients, for their ongoing hard work in promoting Japanese culture and their achievements in the area of Japanese Studies and International Dialogue.
During the ceremony, SISJAC’s Executive Director, Professor Simon Kaner delivered an exciting and inspirational talk, ‘How Japanese Arts and Cultures Make Us Happier‘. The talk covered SISJAC’s widespread and ground-breaking work in bridging the gap between Japan and the UK. Prof. Kaner also explored the wider concept of happiness and wellbeing, and how arts and culture can bring together communities.
Prof. Kaner was invited to deliver his talk at a special event organised by the Japan Foundation London, hosted at Japan House London on Thursday 16 January, which was also livestreamed online to a huge audience. You can read our news report about this event here.
If you missed it, Prof. Kaner’s talk at the official ceremony in Tokyo has now been uploaded to the Japan Foundation YouTube channel!
To watch the video, click this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BRAWSTLl_E
We would like to offer our congratulations once more to our friends at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures!
To find out more about the Japan Foundation Awards, click here.
To find out more about SISJAC, click here.
The Finals Day of the Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK (JaLaChamp) 2025 was held in the hall of Japan House London, on Saturday 10th May 2025.
JaLaChamp is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese, either in a formal school setting or privately. It consists of two categories: a speech category, for secondary school students studying Japanese as a foreign language, and a video category, which is open to primary and secondary school students studying Japanese, including those who have previously stayed in Japan and those who speak Japanese at home. In the speech category, finalists gave speeches on the topic of their choice and each speech was followed by the Q&A session. In the video category, finalists (individual or group) created an original video based on the theme provided using their Japanese skills. On finals day, shortlisted videos were played at a large screen in front of a large audience.
The first category of the day was the Speech Category, and our four brilliant speech category finalists delivered their speeches in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. Finalists spoke on a variety of topics such as the issue of over tourism in Japan and the appeal of Shogi, a Japanese two-player strategy board game.
First place in this category was awarded to Sebastian Pabst, a Year 12 student at Whitgift School for his speech entitled: “Japanese food culture teaches health and sustainability / 日本の食文化は健康と持続可能性を教える”. Citing that Washoku, Traditional Dietary Culture of the Japanese, was listed as an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Sebastian introduced several traditional concepts related to Japanese food culture, such as ‘eating everything without leaving any leftovers’, ‘using all parts of food (e.g. fish)’ and ‘cooking using local and seasonal ingredients’. He emphasised the vital role of schools in Japan in teaching children about balanced diets and sustainability through school lunches (i.e. using vegetables grown in their school or from local farmers and recycling milk cartons).
Second place went to Gavin Cheng, a Year 12 student at Hockerill Anglo-European College for his speech entitled: “Good Doctor vs Bad Doctor: What is the difference? / 良い医者と悪い医者：違いはなんですか？”. Gavin’s speech explained what makes doctors “good”, using several concepts commonly used in Japan such as sincerity (seii), doing one’s best (ganbaru), and consideration (omoiyari) with good examples.
After the Speech Category, we had the Video Category finals. The video category was divided by age (secondary school and primary school), and the secondary school division was split further into two according to Japanese language ability.
The first videos to be shown were the seven videos in Secondary School Division 1 (theme: “Something I/We Want to Try / 私（たち）がやってみたいこと”). Finalists in this category have a Japanese level of A1-A2 (JF Standard for Japanese-language education/CEFR). All seven videos were ambitious in scope and with good messages and sometimes humours to engage with the audience.
First place was won by Tomei Tomatoes, a group of two students, for their video “We Want to Try Being Invisible/ 透明人間になってみたい！”. Second place went to Kira-kira boshi (Twinkle stars), a group of five students from Aquinas College, for their video “Weekend Wishes”.
Next was Secondary School Division 2, where finalists have a Japanese level of B1 (JF Standard for Japanese-language education/CEFR). The theme for their videos was “What I/We Can Learn from the Past / 私（たち）が過去から学べること”. First place was won by Timothy Pooley from James Gillespie’s High School, for his video “ぼくはもうやらないこと / Things that I won’t be doing anymore”.
After the videos from secondary school students, videos from the Primary School Division (theme: “My/Our Favourite Place / 私（たち）の好きな場所”) were shown on a large screen. Finalists in this category have a Japanese level of A1-A2 (JF standard for Japanese-language Education/CEFR). There were five videos in this division and the audience was introduced to each finalist/ finalist group’s favourite places, including London Zoo and a school Lunchtime Japanese Club!
A Special Talk by Ms Mara Yamauchi, a former elite athlete and diplomat who worked for the Foreign Office, including at the British Embassy in Tokyo, was scheduled following the finalists’ videos, but unfortunately Ms Yamauchi was unable to join us on the day. We screened a special video message she kindly made for the participants, and then Mr Shin-ichi Tanaka, Director of the Japan Foundation London, talked about his experiences running the 2024 Berlin Marathon and the 2025 London Marathon. Mr Tanaka spoke about the fun of running as well as the importance of hard work and continuity.
During the Finalist Connection Programme, finalists of various age and different levels of Japanese shared their experiences of learning Japanese. We hope all finalists had a chance to learn from other finalists who studies Japanese.
The award ceremony was held at the end of the day and all of our finalists (both those who placed and runners-up) were awarded with prizes, many of which were provided by our generous sponsors. Taking this opportunity, we sincerely thank all of our finalists who have worked so hard to reach Finals Day, and their families and teachers who supported them. It was great to see many young learners and we look forward to welcoming many of you at the next JaLaChamp.
List of Awards
Speech Category
- First Place: Sebastian Pabst (Whitgift School)
- Second Place: Gavin Cheng (Hockerill Anglo-European College)
- Runners-Up: Ermal Lisha (Hockerill Anglo-European College); Max Woodley (Whitgift School)
Video Category – Secondary School Division 1
- First Place: Tomei tomatoes – Lisa Egawa (Drayton Manor High School) and Emi Gutch (Elthrone Park High School)
- Second Place: Kira-kira boshi – Niamh, Sophie, Alexa, Beth, Hannah (Aquinas College)
- Runners-Up: SalmonSensation – Thomas Lee, Zachary Oz-Collins, Sam Todd (The Gryphon School – learning Japanese at Sherborne Girls); BAAM – Ben, Anton, Ayden, Minghao (Dartford Grammar School); Ryan Cheng (Whitgift School); Victor Richards (University College School); The Hamilton – Wright Co – Lochlann Hamilton, Ernest Wright (Whitgift School)
Video Category – Secondary School Division 2
- First Place: Timothy Pooley (James Gillespie’s High School)
- Runners-Up: Sannin-gumi – Sofia Shibata, Leonard Nakamura, Ayla Murase (Kotoba no Kakehashi), Nina Allen (NIHONGOSCHOOL/ The BRIT School)
Video Category – Primary School Division
- The Nice Cooperation Award: Maple Walk School Japanese Club (Maple Walk School)
- The Magical Teleporters Award: Luisa Andras (Blackthorns Community Primary Academy)
- The Warm Memories Award: SUN3RISE – Nanami Ikeya, Saya Gutch, Mao Catterall (The Japanese Saturday School in London)
- The London Animal Ambassador Award: Aubin & Zavi (Devonshire House School, London)
- The Learning Achievement Award: Lunchtime Japanese Club (Blackthorns Community Primary Academy)
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We would be very grateful if everyone could see their fantastic video on our official YouTube channel and “like” the video.
Download the JaLaChamp 2025 programme
View photos from JaLaChamp 2025 Finals Day
View videos from JaLaChamp 2025 Finals Day
We would like to thank our judges, interlocutor, special guest, and venue staff for all of their invaluable assistance in helping us to hold this event. This event would also not have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors:
The Finals Day of the annual Japanese Speech Contest for University Students was held on Saturday, 1st March 2025 at Great Hall, King’s College London.
For this year, the 20th anniversary of the contest, we welcomed 24 student finalists from 10 universities across the UK, who delivered a packed programme of thought-provoking speeches and presentations for an eager audience – entirely in Japanese!
Those who missed the event, or those who did attend and wish to revisit, can view the event video on our YouTube channel below:
[Youtube Link (Coming soon)]
***
The Finals Day kicked off with opening remarks by Mr OKAZAKI Yasuyuki, Minister for Public Diplomacy and Media, Embassy of Japan in the UK and Dr Ana Maria de Medeiros, Director of the King’s Language Centre at Kings’ College London. They each gave words of welcome to those gathered in the Great Hall before the finalists’ speeches and presentations began.
Individual Presentation Category
In the Individual Presentation Category – for learners studying Japanese at the post-beginner level – five finalists gave presentations using PowerPoint slides to illustrate their chosen topics.
The first prize in this category was awarded to Jessica Polito, a 2nd year student at the University of Edinburgh. Her presentation titled Learning Japanese changed me! was an inspiration for those on their own language-learning journeys.
The second prize went to Zhengxi (Kevin) Cheng, a 3rd year student at Imperial College London who explored both the benefits and potential risks of artificial intelligence in his presentation AI and a Better Society.
The three talented runners-up in this category were: YuThong Low, King’s College London (Is Generation Gap a problem?); Xuanlin (Elsa) Huang, Durham University (Embrace Imperfection in the World and Yourself, Overcome Prejudices); and Jinyoung Tak, King’s College London (What is it like Being Half Korean and Half Japanese ).
Speech Category
After a short break, the audience returned to the hall to listen to our five Speech Category finalists – all studying Japanese as either a degree or non-degree course. Finalists in this category gave speeches entirely in Japanese, without visual aids or PowerPoint slides, and responded to various questions about their selected theme posed by our interlocuter, Ms YAMAGUCHI Nozomi, Senior Language Tutor, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, the University of Manchester.
First place in this category was awarded to Ailian Pei, 4th year student at SOAS University of London, for her speech Challenges of Japan’s “Recruitment System for the Newly Graduated” from the Perspective of International Students, which resonated with the many students in attendance.
Theodore Nze, 4th year student at the University of Oxford, received 2nd place for his speech titled International English: The Challenge and Future of teaching English as a Lingua Franca, where he explored the various forms of English and the true meaning of a ‘global language’.
Our three runners-up also gave brilliant speeches: Michelle Aiko Boddey, SOAS University of London (Redefining Masculinity in Modern Japan); Jiachen Zhang, the University of Leeds (With the popularisation of artificial intelligence, has the value of learning a foreign language fallen?); and Leona Smith, the University of Central Lancashire (Is the international community’s criticism towards Japan’s whaling justified?).
Group Presentation Category
The Finals Day resumed with the Group Presentation Category, after a brief interval in which attendees could visit booths from our many generous sponsors. Students learning Japanese at the beginner level gave presentations in groups on a variety of interesting topics, using PowerPoint slides.
All finalists in this category were already selected as winners at the initial screening stage. This year’s presentations were: Music of England – Fleetwood Mac by Team Doppler Effect, SOAS University of London; Our Favourite Story Protagonists by Team Fluffy Fluffy, University of Bristol; Welcome to Shanghai by Team Shanghai-ce Cream, King’s College London; Women in STEM: Education vs Opportunity by Team Keele’s Science Girls and Guys, Keele University; and last but not least, Mahjong by Team Fans of Freedom, Imperial College London.
***
The speeches and presentations were followed with a Japanese sing-along session led by the enthusiastic volunteers from King’s College London. The celebratory mood of the sing-along served as the perfect preface for the Finals Day award ceremony!
The award ceremony itself opened with a speech from Mr TANAKA Shin-ichi, Director of the Japan Foundation, London. Chief Judge Dr UMEZAWA Kaoru, Chair of the British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language, conveyed remarks on behalf of the judges regarding the day’s presentations and speeches.
For the award ceremony, we invited a special guest for the speech contest’s 20th anniversary – Mr Andrew Lyttle, 1st place winner at the 6th Speech Contest and graduate of SOAS University of London. Mr Lyttle shared his encouragement to finalists and reflections on the day’s proceedings before the prize-giving began in earnest.
The individual winners from each category were invited to say a few words about their experience. It was obvious how hard the students had prepared for the contest and each finalist was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience to commend their effort. Each and every finalist received prizes from our generous sponsors.
The Finals Day concluded with a photo session for finalists and sponsors, before everyone enjoyed the opportunity to network at a celebratory drinks reception – with an opening toast from Ms Jenny White, Chief Executive of the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
It was an honour to welcome this year’s talented finalists, along with friends, family, teachers of Japanese and other audience members from all over the country, to King’s College London’s Great Hall for an inspiring day of speeches and presentations. We hope that everyone thoroughly enjoyed this year’s contest, and we look forward to seeing you all again next year!
[Download the event programme]
[Download speech summaries and presentation abstracts (English)]
[View speech and presentation videos (Japanese)]
[See event information on the BATJ website]
Special thanks to all students who entered the contest, their teachers and supporting friends and family, the judges and interlocuter, the special guest, the audience members, King’s College London, and BATJ, who helped to make the 20th anniversary edition of the speech contest such a success.
We also extend our unending thanks to our kind and generous sponsors for supporting the event:
The 20th Japanese Speech Contest for University Students was jointly organised by the British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language (BATJ), and the Japan Foundation, London. Thank you very much to all the hardworking staff who dedicated their time to ensure a successful event.
Thank you also to King’s College London for providing the beautiful Great Hall as the Finals Day venue.
On Friday 21st February we welcomed 37 postgraduate students to The University of Edinburgh, for our annual Japan Foundation/British Association for Japanese Studies (JF-BAJS) PhD Workshop.
It was a windy and rainy morning in the Scottish capital, but this did not dampen everyone’s spirits as they arrived with smiling faces and excitement for the day ahead!
We were joined on the day by 7 academics who moderated the morning sessions and appeared on the panel: Dr Abigail MacBain, Dr Chris Perkins, Dr Helen Parker, Dr Holly Stephens, Dr Ferran de Vargas, from The University of Edinburgh, Dr Christopher Hayes from Teesside University, and Prof Peter Kornicki, President of BAJS.
Once everyone had registered and helped themselves to tea, coffee and shortbread, the day began.
First, we listened to three welcome talks by Mr Shin-ichi Tanaka, Director of the Japan Foundation London; Professor Peter Kornicki, Emeritus Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Cambridge; and Dr Chris Perkins, Senior Lecturer in Japanese at the University of Edinburgh.
They emphasised the importance of making the most of opportunities of events such as the PhD Workshop, as a means of networking with other peers and academics from around the UK. The speakers motivated the students for a productive one-day event, with Dr Perkins outlining the format of the morning sessions and encouraging the attendees to participate as much as possible.
After the welcome talks, the students split into their three presentation groups for the morning session. The groups were designated categories, based on the attendees and their research topics, as well as the academics assigned as moderators to each group. This year, the group categories were: Literature and Performance; Modern History and Social Movements; and Religion, Premodern Japan and Cultural Exchange.
The research topics displayed the diversity and interests in current Japan-centred research. Topics ranged from Buddhist rituals, to Yokai and cultural memory in anime, Japanese-Thai interethnic families’ educational strategies, sexual consent projects by Tokyo grassroots organisations, Japanese disaster narratives, and Noh drama and masculinity. This is just an extremely small handful of examples of the truly wide-ranging and interesting research topics that were presented and discussed.
The student participants presented their research, and then answered questions from their peers and group moderators. Each discussion group was full of interesting questions. Not only were the presenters asked about their research but it was a true knowledge exchange, with frequent suggestions of useful quotations, relevant scholars to look into, or different concepts to explore.
The presenters were all in varying stages of their research, from prospective PhD students to 1st years, to those in the very final stages of their dissertations. Each student’s opinion was respected and taken into consideration. It was clear how much the students were enjoying hearing each other’s research by the enthusiastic thrum of noise that was audible during the tea and coffee break halfway through the morning.
After the final presentations of the morning the students had a well-earned lunch break, where they continued to mingle, network, and discuss their research and ideas with one another over a catered buffet, after which we entered the next session.
During Session Two, multiple funding institutions were invited to present to the students. The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the Japan Foundation and British Association for Japanese Studies gave presentations on the funding, support, and activities that they offer. Attendees received information about what funding opportunities are available to them directly and in the wider field of Japan-related research and events.
Next, we entered Session Three. Professor Peter Kornicki reflected on his career in Japanese Studies, to provide students with insights based on this year’s theme of Career Development. His talk was engaging and entertaining, taking the students on a journey through his career from the UK to Japan, to working in Tasmania and back. Prof Kornicki highlighting the importance of flexibility, risk-taking, timing, luck and finally having a Plan B during a career in academia. His talk emphasised how progression is rarely a straight line. He also provided more practical advice, describing support that was available for academics, and the important things to bear in mind when applying for a job or for funding.
There was a tea and coffee break in the afternoon after Prof Kornicki’s talk, which gave the students fuel for the final session of the day.
Session Four was a panel Q&A session with the six academics who had led the morning sessions:
Dr Helen Parker (moderator), Lecturer in Japanese at the University of Edinburgh
Dr Ferran de Vargas, UKRI Marie Skiodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Edinburgh
Dr Christopher Hayes, Senior Lecturer in Tourism & Events Management at Teesside University International Business School
Dr Abigail MacBain, Lecturer in Premodern Japanese Studies at the University of Edinburgh
Dr Chris Perkins, Senior Lecturer in Japanese at the University of Edinburgh
Dr Holly Stephens, Lecturer in Japanese and Korean Studies at the University of Edinburgh
The academics began by briefly introducing themselves, before diving straight in to a difficult question on how to deal with career lulls and breaks, and the ebbs and flows of an academic career. Each academic had unique experiences in their careers so far, which they shared candidly with the students. The Q&A session ranged from questions about balancing career and personal life, how to keep mental health in check and the importance of selfcare, to more practical topics such as the necessity for maintaining a good Japanese language level, and writing job applications. The academics emphasised that there are multiple ways to develop a career in academia, and that Japan-related specialism is a unique selling point that can help to stand out in a crowded field.
After a long day it was time for the drinks reception. We were extremely honoured to be joined by Mr Tadashi FUJIWARA, Consul General of Japan in Edinburgh, who delivered a speech about the power of Japanese Studies and the close ties that Scotland and the rest of the UK has with Japan. Prof Peter Kornicki from BAJS and Mr Shin-ichi Tanaka from JF also gave impromptu final remarks, about how impressed they had been with the presentations and conduct of the students at the workshop, and how this filled them with optimism about the future of Japanese Studies in the UK.
As always, it was such a pleasure to see so many students from all sorts of disciplines, backgrounds, and at different stages of their career, mingling, networking, enjoying making connections with their peers and the academics.
We would like to thank all the students, academics, funding institutions, and other esteemed guests for joining us for another wonderful workshop.
Particular thanks to The University of Edinburgh for their tireless efforts in helping to make the workshop a success, and for hosting us in their beautiful space!
As ever, the workshop would not have been possible without our co-organisers at the British Association for Japanese Studies (BAJS), and we would like to extend our thanks to their ongoing cooperation in organising this event with us.
We look forward to another event supporting Japanese Studies in the future!
On Thursday 16th January, we were extremely honoured to invite Professor Simon Kaner, Executive Director and Head of Centre for Archaeology and Heritage at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), to speak on the extensive work that SISJAC has carried out recently and over the years, placing this work in context of the wider field of the study of Japanese Arts and Cultures. He explored the impact this exposure to Arts and Cultures can have on society, and our personal well-being.
This talk was held specially to commemorate the fact that SISJAC were selected as one of the recipients of the Japan Foundation Awards 2024.
Recipients of the JF Award 2024 at the official Presentation Ceremony in Tokyo, Oct 2024.
Every year the Japan Foundation presents the Japan Foundation Awards to individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to promoting international mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and other countries, through academic, artistic, and other cultural avenues. Previous recipients of the Award over the years have included such individuals as film directors Hayao MIYAZAKI and Hirokazu KOREEDA, as well as author Haruki MURAKAMI.
In 2024, the award was given to artist Chiharu SHIOTA, the Association of Japanese Language Teachers of Mongolia, and the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Culture.
The official ceremony for the Awards was held in Tokyo, in October 2024. Professor Kaner delivered a speech at the time, entitled ‘How Japanese Arts and Cultures Can Make Us Happier’. As SISJAC is a UK-based institution, it only seemed right to invite Prof Kaner to deliver the talk to an audience in England, to continue to celebrate its receival of the Award!
We were very pleased to welcome so many audience members, gathered in-person in the event hall at Japan House London, as well as many who were viewing the livestream. The talk was also broadcast live as part of SISJAC’s Third Thursday Lecture series (*). It was a privilege to provide a platform for Prof Kaner’s expertise with an audience from both the UK and farther afield.
The talk began with an introduction from Mr Shin-ichi TANAKA, Director of the Japan Foundation London, who provided background to the significance of the Japan Foundation Awards, before introducing the Sainsbury Institute and Professor Kaner, who was then welcomed to begin his talk.
Professor Kaner began by thanking the Japan Foundation for the support over the years. In fact throughout his talk, we got a real feeling of how collaboration, communication and exchange between individuals and institutions, at a regional, national, and international level, can have a huge impact on the happiness on a personal and societal level.
A packed audience!
The talk covered SISJAC’s widespread and ground-breaking work in bridging the gap between Japan and the UK. Including bringing a 12m Kannon Bosatsu scroll from Hasedera temple in Nara Prefecture to be suspended in the centre of Norwich, and their project ‘Circles of Stone: Stonehenge and Prehistoric Japan’ which compared Japanese stone circles of the middle and late Jomon periods to Stonehenge, built and used during roughly the same period. Work like this really exposes the wider public to Japanese Arts and Cultures, bringing awareness of the world’s similarities and differences.
Professor Kaner also discussed the concept of our happiness and wellbeing as a whole, introducing different studies to the audience such as “Wellbeing and the Historic Environment” by Sarah Reilly, Claire Nolan, and Linda Monckton, wherein the impact that the “Historic Environment” can directly have on our wellbeing is detailed.
He ended his talk on an extremely inspirational note, taking examples and quotes from different individuals such as colleagues, students, friends and experts in the field, to really explain what studying Japanese Arts and Cultures has meant to them. Through communities that we can build, wisdom that we can learn and adopt, beauty in shared experiences, we can learn not only about other cultures, but also about our own society. What can be a happier experience than that?
Here are just a few comments from audience members, when asked “What part of the event was most interesting to you?”:
“How looking at particular cultural moments or artefacts can create opportunities for both local populations and to create international co-operation and understanding”
“I always enjoy how Prof. Kaner places cultural practices from past and present in a broader perspective”
“The way that people engage with Japanese culture and find joy and relief in it, although culture and time are so different.”
“As a student, I enjoyed what Prof Kaner shared about the history of Japanese Studies in the UK.”
We would like to thank Professor Simon Kaner for delivering such a thought provoking, entertaining, and inspirational talk.
Additional thanks to the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures for their partnership in this event. (*) SISJAC regularly organises and hosts Japan-related events, including their Third Thursday Lecture online talk series. Please check their website for more information on SISJAC and their events: https://www.sainsbury-institute.org/
Thank you to Japan House London for partnering us for this event, and for allowing us to use their wonderful event hall.
“Rakugo and Kobanashi: Enjoy Storytelling and Explore Japanese” event series was held on 8th and 9th of November 2024 in Oxford, and 10th November 2024 in London.
The traditional Japanese theatre art Rakugo dates back to the Edo period, where it was appreciated by all classes – and it is still enjoyed by many today. During the performance, a storyteller sits onstage, alone, in the seiza position (kneeling with tucked legs), using only their voice, a cloth (tenugui), and a folding fan (sensu), to tell comedic or dramatic stories. While Rakugo remains one of the most popular traditional theatre arts in Japan, those overseas do not often get the opportunity to enjoy it live.
We were delighted to invite the distinguished Rakugo Master Ryūtei Saryū and Professor Kazumi Hatasa to the UK. Master Ryūtei Saryū has been performing Rakugo across the world for over 30 years and achieved Shin’Uchi Rakugo Master Storyteller status in 2006. He became a visiting associate professor at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University earlier this year. Professor Hatasa is part of the School of Languages and Culture at Purdue University, USA. He works with professional performers to incorporate Rakugo and Kobanashi into Japanese language education.
While we held this event for people in the UK to enjoy Rakugo, another aim was to introduce Kobanashi. Kobanashi are short skits with an ending punchline, serving as a preface to the main Rakugo story. Every learner, from a beginner level to a higher level, from children to adults, and from those learning Japanese as a foreign language to those learning it as a heritage language, can try Kobanashi and enhance their motivation and creativity! We have been encouraging learners and teachers to try Kobanashi, and many of them have already performed it in their class or elsewhere. To spread the message of this fun and useful artform, we hosted an in-person Kobanashi showcase during this event series.
Day One – Friday 8th November 2024, Oxford
The day’s proceedings began with opening remarks by Mr TANAKA Shin-ichi, Director of the Japan Foundation, London. Following this, Professor Hatasa provided an explanation of Rakugo and yose theatre. He then introduced various gestures used in Rakugo to the audience, alongside gesture performances by Master Saryū.
The Rakugo ghost story Shinigami (God of Death) was then briefly explained by Professor Hatasa, leading into Master Saryū’s expertly performed rendition of this terrifying tale. The plight of an Edo man who made a deal with a deity of death was masterfully portrayed to a captive audience through Master Saryū’s voicework and acting.
Following the frightfully fantastic Rakugo performance, the floor opened to the audience for questions to both Professor Hatasa and Master Saryū.
The Friday event was co-organised by the Japan Foundation, London and Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, University of Oxford. We would like to further thank the Nissan Institute for graciously providing the venue for the day’s activities.
Day 2 – Saturday 9th November 2024, Oxford, and Day 3 – Sunday 10th November 2024, London
Day 2 and Day 3 followed similar programmes. On Day 3 we were also honoured to receive Mr OKAZAKI Yasuyuki, a minister of the Embassy of Japan, to give a greeting.
Following a welco me address from Mr TANAKA Shin-ichi, Director of the Japan Foundation, London, Professor Hatasa began with an introductory lecture about the art of Rakugo and yose theatre. Alongside Master Saryū, he then presented a demonstration of various gestures used during Rakugo performances by showing Master Saryū’s gestures on the stage.
Kobanashi Happyoukai
Following the brief Rakugo taster, it was time to move onto the Kobanashi Happyoukai! Each venue filled with laughter and applause as 12 Japanese learners of all ages took to the stage one-by-one. It was a great opportunity for them to show off their language and acting skills in a programme full of entertaining and witty skits – as coached by Master Saryū during their rehearsal. Following the Kobanashi presentations, the performers were invited back to the stage for a brief talk about their experiences preparing for the Happyoukai. Please see the programme at the bottom of this report. We hope that this precious experience will motivate our performers to keep studying Japanese hard!
After a short interval, the audience returned to their seats in anticipation of two Rakugo performances by Master Saryū himself. A background explanation of the first story, ‘Long and Short’ (chōtan), was provided by Professor Hatasa, then Master Saryū launched into a hilarious rendition of the tale about two friends with opposing personalities. The second story, ‘Okiku’s Plates’ (okiku no sara), was a ghost story with a twist – it tells the tale of the young maid Okiku, who haunts an old well whilst counting plates and cursing her former master. Background context was once again provided by Professor Hatasa for Master Saryū’s captivating performance.
A talk and Q&A session then followed the performances and allowed the audience to learn more about Rakugo and Kobanashi. The day closed with a taiko drum demonstration, as would be done in an authentic theatre after a long day full of exciting Rakugo!
The Saturday and Sunday events were organised by the Japan Foundation, London. Wadham College, University of Oxford supported the event on Saturday. We would like to further thank Wadham College and Regent’s University London for graciously providing the venues for the days’ activities.
Overall, we had a packed three days full of exciting performances, and we hope that those in our audience, both in-person and watching from our online broadcast, will keep enjoying Rakugo and Kobanashi in the future! As for us, we will continue hosting various events to show how fun it is to learn about Japanese culture and language.
If you would like to try Kobanashi yourself, the information below will be useful. Don’t miss it!
- Professor Hatasa’s website
- KKGH website (*KKGH is “Kokusai Kobanashi Godo Happyoukai”)
- Kobanashi performances video (from an online event in 2021)
Please make sure to check out our What’s On page and keep a look out for our future events like this one!
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