Japan House London is the cultural home of Japan in London. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens our appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are two other Japan Houses in Los Angeles and São Paulo. Located on London’s Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests.
The varied offer includes an exhibition gallery, events space, a Japanese restaurant and a retail floor of thoughtfully curated Japanese products. This is complemented by a diverse line-up of exhibitions, events, workshops, and seminars. With a wide-ranging programme, Japan House celebrates Japan’s innovative, creative and technological merits, while shining a spotlight on the artisans, craftsmen, designers, performers, musicians and other professionals who are making waves both in Japan and around the world – from internationally renowned individuals, to emerging artists who are excelling in their field.
Must Do! – Nature and Life in Japan
There is a feeling that is always present in Japanese people’s lives: the concept of ‘not resisting nature’. Japan is a country with nature in abundance, where one can clearly sense four beautiful seasons, but it is also a land prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. That is why Japanese people have, since ancient times, been in awe of nature, conscious that they can never resist it, despite deriving so much benefit from it.
This way of thinking is reflected in many aspects of Japanese cultures. Examples include Japanese gardens that reproduce nature just as it is, architecture that makes the most of the innate characteristics of wood, and the spirit of wabi-sabi, which teaches people to appreciate the beauty of flowers and leaves even as they fall.
This new Library exhibition, curated by Haba Yoshitaka, is divided into four themes with books carefully selected to reflect each one: Forests and the Environment; Japanese Plants and their Uses; Expressions of Nature that Reflect Japan; and Mitate Masquerades.
Some of the books are available in Japanese language only, however, they are filled with a variety of striking images that can be understood universally.
Free visits, with booking recommended: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/visit/visit-us/