What's On

Date: Wednesday 5 June, 6:30pm – 9pm (Doors at 6pm)

Venue: Japan House London

The world is ageing. According to the World Health Organization, increased life expectancy and declining birth rates mean that between 2000 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 will have doubled. Nowhere is this trend easier to see than in Japan, where 1 in 10 people are over the age of 80 and almost 30% of the population is over the age of 65, according to a study published in 2023 by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Who will provide care to the growing number of frail and cognitively impaired older people in this historically unprecedented reality?

Japan relies on a combination of informal, unpaid care (primarily family members, but also local community volunteer groups) and formal, paid care to address the increasing needs of its ageing population. Despite the introduction of a national Long-Term Care Insurance system in 2000, family involvement in daily care of older family members has not decreased. Family members play a vital role as primary carers for almost three-quarters of frail and dependent older people, but as dependency increases with age, it is not uncommon for family carers to leave their jobs or move in with the person they are caring for, leading to dangerous levels of stress and fatigue. Understanding and recognizing the value of unpaid care is essential for ensuring their support over the course of what is often a long, painful, but ultimately transformative journey.

Join us for a discussion on this issue, with Dr Jason Danely, Reader in Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University and Chair of the Healthy Ageing and Care Research Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Network.

This event will feature a documentary film screening on the topic, as part of the release of new titles to the JFF + Japan Foundation Film Festival. The title of the documentary will be revealed on Wednesday 8 May when the whole film festival programme is announced. Keep your eyes peeled for the title reveal!

The event will involve a 10 minute introductory talk from Dr Danely, followed by the documentary screening. After the film has been screened, Dr Danely will lead a 30 minute Q&A session to share his expertise and facilitate an audience discussion.

About the Speaker

Dr. Jason Danely is a Reader in Anthropology and Chair of the Healthy Ageing & Care Research Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Network at Oxford Brookes University. He is the author of over 20 publications, including his most recent book, Fragile Resonance: Caring for Older Family Members in Japan and England (2022). His research expertise relates to cultural understanding and experiences of ageing and care in

Japan, where he has at various times taught, studied, performed theatre, travelled, meditated and raised children, over the last twenty years.

Keep an eye on this page for the title of the documentary, screened as part of this event!

For enquiries, please email LO_info@jpf.go.jp

Join the University of Edinburgh for the final talk in their Asian Studies Seminar Series for the academic year 2013 - 2014, in partnership with The Japan Foundation.

This free talk by Dr Caroline Astell-Burt is entitled 'Translation of Bodies: performance work of a professional puppeteer inspired by Japanese otome bunraku'.

Dr Astell-Burt first encountered puppets based on otome bunraku at a training workshop in 2009 at the London School of Puppetry. This developed into a long study of the bodily presence of the puppeteer before being formalised into a doctoral enquiry and the opportunity to observe the extremely rare and beautiful performances at Hitomiza in Japan.

She regularly writes academic articles about puppets and puppetry often within an educational or therapeutic context. She is a puppet-maker, performer and teacher and co-founder of the first full-time professional training for puppeteers in the UK. She holds two Masters Degrees from Middlesex and Royal Holloway Universities and a doctorate from Loughborough University.

No booking essential, just turn up!

To visit the event page on the University of Edinburgh's website, click here.