What's On

Image: A monk painting the Kanji of the Year 2011, ‘kizuna’, meaning bonds, chosen following the 2011 Tohoku triple disaster. Credit: https://www.jiji.com/jc/d4?p=knj120-jpp11868337&d=d4_dd

Date: Wednesday 11 March, 2026, 6pm – 7.30pm

Venue: Lecture Room 6.213, University Place Room, The University of Manchester

This event will also be livestreamed 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 fourth talk, Voices for a Better Japan: Insights from Anthropology, Religion, Sociology and History, is supported by the University of Manchester. We will be joined by Dr. Chika Watanabe, Prof. Erica Baffelli, Dr. Yuki Asahina and Dr. Aya Homei, with a special introduction to Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester by Dr. Peter Cave.

Talk Description

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m., a 9.1magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami and a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Marking the fifteenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, this event will explore what happens when disasters and crises occur and how individuals and communities respond to them. Each speaker will give a short presentation (approximately 10 minutes) drawing on their specific area of expertise, followed by questions from the audience.

The presentations will explore themes such as the intersections between disaster preparedness and art in activities with children; new social connections created through disaster relief activities in Tohoku with marginalised communities in Tokyo; collaboration between labour unions in supporting temporary and precarious workers; and actions, including formal apologies, addressing Japan’s painful past of forced sterilisation. Collectively these talks will reflect on examples from Japan that show how individuals and organisations mobilise to respond to disasters, crises, and difficult historical legacies.

About the Speakers: 

	Dr. Chika Watanabe Chika WATANABE is Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester. Her research and teaching focus on disaster preparedness, play, futurity, and humanitarian and development aid. She has two forthcoming books, Play to Survive: Disaster Preparedness Along the Ring of Fire (2026) and Patchwork Ethnography: a Methodological Guide (2027).
	Professor Erica Baffelli Erica BAFFELLI is Professor of Japanese Studies at The University of Manchester (UK). She is interested in religion in contemporary Japan, with a focus on groups founded from the 1970s onwards. Her research projects and publication focus on religion in contemporary Japan; religion and media; new and minority religions; religion, gender and violence; and Buddhism and emotion. She is currently PI on a Leverhulme Research Project on "Fear and Belonging in Minority Buddhist Communities" (2023-2027).
	Dr. Yuki Asahina Yuki ASAHINA is a lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester. Trained as a sociologist, his research interests include social inequality and political sociology, focusing on Japan and South Korea. Yuki has recently completed his first book manuscript, Meritocracy’s Children (2027), and an edited volume, The Digital Rise of the Far Right in Japan (2026).
	Dr. Aya Homei Aya HOMEI is a Reader in Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on the history of medicine and science in modern Japan and East Asia, with interests in reproduction, population, gender and diplomacy. Aya is the author of Science for Governing Japan’s Population (2023) and co-edited Medical Women in the Japanese Empire (2025). Most recently, she is working on a historical book examining Japanese family planning and healthcare diplomacy in Southeast Asia and involuntary sterilisation in Japan after World War II.
	Dr. Peter Cave : Introduction to Japanese Studies at Manchester Peter CAVE is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies and director of the Japanese Studies programme at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on education in Japan, both contemporary and twentieth-century. His publications include books on primary and junior high school in Japan, as well as articles about educational reform, history education, maths education, and club activities in Japanese schools.

This event is free to attend but registration is essential

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).

This webinar is intended for librarians, researchers, and other people outside of Japan who are engaged in Japanese studies. The goal of this webinar is to learn and improve basic skills for finding and using information related to research in Japanese studies.

The advancement of digital technology has encouraged Japanese studies outside of Japan and made it easier to obtain a wide range of information on premodern Japan, not just classical literature. Consequently, innovative and authentic research is in progress in the field of Japanese classical literature.
There is no denying that Japanese premodern books, wahon (和本), are the primary subjects or resources for conducting research in the field.

In this lecture focusing on wahon, Dr. Sasaki TAKAHIRO demonstrates the basic knowledge required when using a vast number of digital images for research, as well as methods and precautions for utilizing these images, providing specific examples.

Video available to watch on demand on YouTube. You must apply before watching the video.

Date: Video available between Monday 2 February to  Monday 2 March 2026.

Eligibility: 

1. Librarians or researchers outside of Japan who are engaged in Japanese Studies.
   * This includes students and others who have a professional interest in Japanese studies.
2. Librarians in Japan

Language: Japanese (no translation or interpretation)

Click here to apply to watch the video.

• Applicants will be sent an email containing URLs needed to watch the video and download the handout.
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• For Enquiries, please contact：
• Training and Exchange Section,
  Library Support Division,
  Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
  To contact us, please complete the Inquiry Form available on our website. Select 'Others', begin your message with 'Regarding Training Program,' and then provide the details of your inquiry.
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