What's On

The Japan Foundation is delighted to take part in the UK tour of award winning Japanese author MURATA Sayaka, (best known to audiences outside of Japan for her best-selling novel Convenience Store Woman), for a series of enlightening talks on her novel Vanishing World, (『消滅世界』) now available in English. Vanishing World depicts a timeline in which sex between married couples is taboo, and children are born through artificial insemination. Known for her intriguing and off-beat writing style, MURATA's latest novel forces readers to examine the norms of the world around them, in this imagined dystopian reality.

Praise for Vanishing World:

Makes the ordinary world as we see it look strange again... Publishers will continue to seek out imitations of [Sayaka's] vision - but why bother, when the real thing is so good? - Financial Times

An eye-popping plot... It invites us to consider how reproductive gender equality could transform society, with chilling ramifications - New York Times

MURATA Sayaka

Whilst working at a convenience store herself, MURATA debuted Junyu, her first novel in 2003, for which she received the Gunzo Prize for New Writers. Despite her increasing fame as a writer, MURATA continued to work as a convenience store clerk until 2017, throughout which time she also received the Mishima Yukio Prize for Of Bones, Of Body Heat, Of Whitening City in 2013, and the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2016 for Convenience Store Woman, for which she was also named one of Vogue Japan's Women of the Year.

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: 14 December 2024 - 9 November 2025

Venue: The Ashmolean Museum

Click here for details

This year's Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival will take place throughout September and October in three venues throughout Wales. From The Colors Within to Summer Wars, the festival screens the best in Japanese anime and culture, featuring a BSL interpreter at Chapter (Saturday only) to reach a greater disabled audience.