Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation

20/08/2026

Also in Edinburgh this month, we helped to bring three Japanese authors over to deliver some exciting talks at the Edinburgh International Book Festival!

Nao-Cola Yamazaki, speaking alongside translators Polly Barton and Charlotte Goff: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/events/nao-cola-yamazaki-polly-barton-charlotte-goff-writing-the-interior

Mieko Kawakami on Sisters in Yellow: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/events/mieko-kawakami-sisters-in-yellow

Natsuo Kirino on Swallows: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/events/natsuo-kirino-swallows

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18/08/2026

The Edinburgh festivals are in full swing, and we've supported a number of events happening across the month!

Pianist Makoto Ozone will join cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and The Kleio Quartet on stage at the Queen's Hall tomorrow, for an unusual programme featuring quintets by Schubert and Bartók.

The Kleio Quartet – BBC New Generation Artists and winners of the 2023 Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition – made an ecstatically received

01/07/2026

We're supporting the Oxford Translates Summer School, which kicks off next week!

The keynote by Ann Morgan on ‘How Translators Changed My Life’ is open to all, and will take place over Zoom on Monday 6th July, 5-6pm BST.

You can scan the QR code below or follow this link to register: https://lnkd.in/etGry2wk

08/06/2026

We are delighted to welcome Dr Victoria Young to the Foundation’s board of trustees. A long-standing friend of the Foundation, Dr Young's connection with the Foundation spans her career, from receiving support as a student to contributing to our studentship programme and judging our translation prize.

We look forward to working with her in this new role.

05/06/2026

Team GBSF have a special interest in this year's FT Nikkei Ekiden - as one fifth of the Embassy of Japan in the UK State Visit Legacy Team.

Our gruelling training regime now enters its final, most delicately calibrated phase, and we hope the same is true for our teammates from The Japan Society, Japan House London and of course the Embassy of Japan in the UK itself. 🇯🇵🇬🇧

The FT Nikkei UK Ekiden, now in its 3rd year, takes place on Friday 12 June! Competitors will run along the Thames path starting in Windsor. 🏃

The event celebrates today's young generation and aims to strengthen the friendship between 🇯🇵 and 🇬🇧 through this popular Japanese style relay race.🎽

Good luck to all runners, and to all the spectators - have fun cheering on your team!

02/06/2026

We can't thank everyone who made our biennnial studentship and alumni day such a success enough. Most of all, thanks to our current cohort of resourceful, enquiring and dedicated postgraduate students!

And of course to 日本財団 for driving this initiative and joining us.

30/04/2026

We were delighted to support an exciting range of Japanese titles at Q***r East Festival 2026, which kicks off this Friday 1st May.

The line-up includes two rare 35mm print screenings from the National Film Archive of Japan, two director-focused programmes, and many more. See more details below...

https://queereast.org.uk/festival-2026/

14/04/2026

In 2024, we supported twelve Buddhist monks from Hasedera Temple in Nara to visit Norwich and introduce the sacred Buddhist chant known as Shōmyō, as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures.

Hasedera Temple have since produced a multilingual visitors' guide! Future visitors, add it to your bookmarks: https://hasedera.or.jp/free/?id=984

10/04/2026

Genderscope and SOAS Japan Society are hosting two events in London (17–18 April 2026) centred on Mimoza Ways, a play about Japanese women’s experiences through 100 years of history! These events bring together voices from academia, the arts, and journalism to explore how storytelling shapes women’s lives across cultures and generations.

These events are free and open to the public! Reserve your spot via the links below...

17 April – Screening + discussion
👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mimoza-ways-screening-discussion-womens-voices-from-japan-tickets-1985682381456?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
18 April – Panel discussion
👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-across-generations-art-and-representation-of-women-in-japan-tickets-1985683208931?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl