University hosts festival celebrating Japanese art, culture, literature and film

8th February 2018

A series of events exploring the traditions and modernity of Japan will be hosted by the University of Sheffield's School of East Asian Studies one of Europe's leading academic centres for research and teaching on Japan.

Celebrating Japanese arts, culture, literature and film, the Japan Now North festival organised with Modern Culture and the Japan Foundation will take place across the city from Thursday 22 February 2018 until Saturday 3 March 2018. Highlights of the festival include 'Visualising Japanese Idols' with renowned filmmaker and photographer Mika Ninagawa, who is one of the board members of the Tokyo Organising Committee for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Accompanied by both films and images, she will discuss all aspects of her work to date in a talk at Sheffield Town Hall on Saturday 24 February 2018 from 3pm-5pm. Other events include a talk with writer Tomoyuki Hoshino and an exhibition and workshop with Japan-based photographer and visual artist Suzanne Mooney. The city will also welcome documentary filmmakers Megumi Sasaki and the Peabody award-winning Kyoko Miyake, and host the UK premiere of Sasaki's documentary 'A Whale of a Tale.' Dr Kate Taylor-Jones, Senior Lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield, said: -We are thrilled to announce that Japan Now North is coming to Sheffield and will bring contemporary artists, writers, and filmmakers from Japan to locations across the city. "Sheffield is a vibrant northern hub of arts and culture and home to one of the oldest Japanese Studies departments in the UK and in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics we aim to bring the newest and best of Japanese culture and art to the city in a series of free events including film screenings, workshops and art exhibitions." To see a full programme of events please visit https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/seas/news/japan-now-north-1. 755863 With a history dating back to 1963, the University of Sheffield's School of East Asian Studies is one of Europe´s leading centres of academic excellence for the study of contemporary East Asia, with research and teaching covering China, Japan and Korea. Its main focus is the business, politics, societies, cultures, economies and history of modern and contemporary East Asia. To find out more about studying in the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/seas/home