Interview: Sebastian Masuda – Art Director and J-Pop Culture Pioneer

Internationally-renowned artist Sebastian Masuda brings global participatory art project to London with NHK WORLD TV for Hyper Japan!

In the run up to Hyper Japan, which took place on July 15 – 17 July, internationally-renowned artist and Japanese pop culture expert Sebastian Masuda – who is art director for Kawaii International  – brought his global art project to London with NHK WORLD TV.

Time After Time Capsule is a five-year participatory artwork in which Masuda, invites people to share their love of kawaii. It has been created in collaboration with NHK WORLD TV to

Book Review: Photography In Japan 1853 – 1912

A delight to the eye and a treasure trove of information!

Photography in Japan 1853-1912 , originally published in 2006, provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of early photography in Japan often little known outside academic circles or those with a specific interest in the period when Japan was undergoing rapid modernisation.

Though most people are generally unaware of the larger scope of the world of early photography in Japan and the early photographs of both non-Japanese and Japanese photographers, some with little more than a passing interest may be aware of the photographs of Felice Beato, which have recently had a fair amount of publicity, some of which are included in this book. The book follows the beginnings of photography in Japan from its introduction by foreigners through its

Review: The Newly Refurbished Toshiba Gallery At The Victoria And Albert Museum

‘Design is not for philosophy, it’s for life’ (Issey Miyake)

After the post Second World War attempt by the Allies in occupied Japan to disband the zaibatsu business conglomerates, which was partially successful, Japanese industry began setting itself strategies at regular intervals for the development and manufacture of products. Each revolved around particular group of five facets of design and manufacture – for instance a single strategic phase might involve something like:

Exhibition: Paintings From Hiroshima

Organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation

Date: 5 – 13 Aug 2015

Venue: Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, Outer Circle (entrance facing Regent’s Park), London NW1 4QP

This year in August will be the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  An Englishman, Mike Stevenson, has in his possession two collections of art works made by children in Japan in the aftermath of World War II.  The 34 works in one collection were made by students of a Christian girls’ school in Hiroshima, which suffered the deaths of over 300 students.  The school building was destroyed, but it was said to be the first to re-open following the atomic bombing of that city.

FestivalAsia 2015 – Three Days Of Exotic Fun & Excitement

London’s largest indoor festival on all things Asia!

Date: 15 – 17 May 2015

Venue: Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, London E1W 2SF

Tickets: Adult £12.50 adv – £15 door

Children (up to 10 years old, accompanied by one adult with an Adult Ticket) £8 adv – £10 door

Indulge your senses and experience the exotic cultures of Asia under one roof.

Exhibition: Riusuke Fukahori “Goldfish Salvation 2”

ICN Press Release

Date: 11 – 21 December 2014

Times: Open daily from 12 – 6pm

Venue: 93-95 Sclater Street London E1 6HR

ICN Gallery proudly presents Goldfish Salvation 2 by Riusuke Fukahori, an artist internationally acclaimed for his 2012 video on his creative process. This is his second solo exhibition in the UK. The “Fukahori Goldfish” is a painting yet it grasps the ephemeral beauty of the goldfish captured in a flat plane of resin, and is vibrant and almost three-dimensional.

WIN NINGYO: The Art Of The Japanese Doll By Alan Scott Pate

Hooray! It’s competition time again!

Famed the world over for their intricate beauty, Japanese dolls (ningyo) have played an important role in Japanese art and culture. Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll (read review here) is the first comprehensive book on antique Japanese dolls and figurines published in English. The book focuses on dolls in six categories:

• GOSHO-NINGYO: Palace Dolls and Auspicious Wishes
• HINA-NINGYO: Dolls for the Girl’s Day Festival
• MUSHA-NINGYO: Warrior Dolls for the Boy’s Day Festival
• ISHO-NINGYO: Fashion Dolls and Popular Culture
• NINGYO IN THE THEATER: Entertaining the Gods and Man
• NINGYO AND HEALTH: Dolls as Talisman and Tool

The Art of the Japanese Sword Competition Now Closed And the Winner Is…

A winner has been chosen!

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition to win a copy of the book The Art of the Japanese Sword.

Sadly there can only be one winner.

And the winner is…

Book Review: The Art Of The Japanese Sword: The Craft Of Swordmaking And Its Appreciation

Like people and snowflakes, no two Japanese swords are the same!

Written by Yoshindo Yoshihara (a third generation swordsmith) with Leon and Hiroko Kapp, The Art of the Japanese Sword is a beautiful large format book (effectively printed on glossy black paper with white text) that focuses on the production and understanding of the symbolic steel weapon once used by samurai and now admired by art collectors all round the world as an object of perfection, although many people use them to practice traditional Japanese martial arts like Iaido (the art of drawing the sword).

Interview: Mayuko – Singer/Songwriter

A child in a cocoon!

Since making her debut back in 2001, Mayuko’s popularity as a singer and songwriter in Japan and abroad has been steadily growing and she has been gaining much interest from the media since her collaborations with talent like Daniel Wang (Balihu Records) and DJ Kensei as well as Shynola who designed the cover artwork for her first mini-album

Hyper Japan 2014 In Pictures

The UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture!

Every year since it first began back in 2010, the annual London event Hyper Japan keeps getting better and better, not to mention bigger and bigger, and this year’s extravaganza held on 25 – 27 July at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre was no exception.

The fantastic line-up catered to all tastes in Japanese pop-culture from traditional dancers and musicians like the very popular Hyper Japan regulars Hibiki Ichikawa and Akari Mochizuki, who this time around were accompanied by guitarist Hide Takemoto, to contemporary

Netsuke: 100 Miniature Masterpieces From Japan

A lecture by Noriko Tsuchiya and Max Rutherston, 3^rd July 2014

The Japan Society in association with the British Museum hosted a joint lecture at the Swedenborg Society by Max Rutherston, an Asian Art dealer specialising in netsuke, and Noriko Tsuchiya, the author of the British Museum’s new publication, ‘Netsuke: 100 miniature masterpieces from Japan’, a selection from the museum’s 2,300 strong netsuke collection.

MCM Comic Con Comes To Belfast

 Special guests includes voice artist D.C. Douglas one (Resident Evil 5 and Tekken 6)!

When: 7 – 8 June 2014

Where: Kings Hall Pavilions, Belfast, Ireland

Calling all sci-fi fans, gamers, comic collectors, movie buffs and anime enthusiasts! MCM Comic Con comes to Belfast for the very first time on 7-8 June, and we’ve got a show jam-packed with geeky goodness in store for you. Here’s a round-up of just some of the special guests and attractions that you’ll find at the inaugural MCM Belfast Comic Con:

Off The Beaten Path: Dream Destinations In Rural Japan

Nature’s work of art!

When hitting up popular tourist destinations in Japan, it’s possible you may have a good time. But bumping into other tourists every five seconds may take you out of the experience of being abroad. Or if you’re headed back to Japan for a repeat trip, it could be you’ve seen all the usual tourist spaces. Regardless of the reason, some individuals just desire to see areas of Japan that are free of tourism and

MCM Birmingham Comic Con & Memotabilia – NEC – 22-23 MARCH 2014

Birmingham Comic Con to host UK’s first showing of ‘Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day’

Anime and manga fans rejoice! Bandai Namco Games will be giving visitors to this weekend’s MCM Birmingham Comic Con the first UK showing of the unique anime and videogame package, Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day, as well as a hands-on with epic manga-based fighter JoJo’s

Namco Bandai Games UK Announce Biggest Eever Line-Up For MCM London Comic Con

Date: 25^th-27^th October 2013

Venue: London Excel Royal Victoria Dock

Critically acclaimed Dark Souls II, Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Z, Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst and Tales of Symphonia: Chronicles to lead the charge at this year’s MCM London Comic con at

Art Exhibition: Seijiro Niwa “The Way Of Mending Holes” ICN Gallery London

Artist Talk  “Frame and picture story”: May 4 14:00 – 15:30

ICN gallery proudly presents “the way of mending holes” by artist Seijiro Niwa from May 2 – 25 2013.  

NIwa has been consistently producing photos and 3D works under the theme of picture boundary and human eyesight’s end. The exhibition will feature his latest 2D and 3D works. 

Art Exhibition Review: Works On Nature & Dance/Movement By Hiroko Imada

Expressive moods in colour!

Riverside Studios Gallery London – 16 March – 7 April 2013

On Monday, 18 March Diverse Japan attended a private viewing of the exhibition Works on Nature & Dance/Movement by Japanese artist Hiroko Imada, which is being held at the Riverside Studios Gallery in London from 16 March until 7 April (see foot of post for opening times). The exhibition is registered with

HYPER JAPAN 2013 Tickets Now On Sale!

Date: Friday 26 – Sunday 28 July 2013
Venue: Earls Court Two, Earls Court, London

HYPER JAPAN, the UK’s biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and cool, is back for 2013. Diverse exhibitors, stores, performers and fans will once again come together to bring the very best of contemporary and traditional Japan to the heart of London. Since the first HYPER JAPAN in 2010, there have three subsequent events, each one more popular than the