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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 19/10/2026

We were delighted to welcome Noriko Ikai from the Ishibashi Foundation to Norwich last month. The Foundation has supported many of our academic initiatives over the past 15 years, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 02/10/2026

[October Third Thursday Lecture - André Leroi-Gourhan in 1930s Japan: Tangible Collections and Intangible Recollections] Speaker: Dr Marion Di Santi 15 Oct 2026 6pm BST Online Registration essential - us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 21/09/2026

Aurel Stein, female friends and changing worlds - online talk with Susan Whitfield (Sainsbury Institute). Tues 22 Sep 2026 18:30-20:30, for the Aurel Stein Archives and Collections Conference: Ongoing and New Research, organised by the Royal Asiatic Society. us02web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 02/09/2026

Online Third Thursday Lecture - TAITOKUIN REBORN: Tokugawa Hidetada’s Mausoleum Model (Royal Collection) 17 Sep 2026 18:00pm with Prof William Coaldrake (University of Tokyo), register here: us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 24/08/2026

Due to demand, we're pleased to announce the workshop "Women in Traditional Craft: Past, Present, and Future Possibilities" will now be live streamed! 4 Sep, 9:45-17:30. Sign up link here: us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 06/08/2026

In-person academic workshop - Women in Traditional Craft: Past, Present, and Future Possibilities, Fri 4 Sep at Sainsbury Institute, Norwich. Limited spaces available. Email us to register. www.sainsbury-instit... #JapaneseArt

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 21/07/2026

"Making Tokyo’s Craftswomen Visible": A photography exhibition by our postdoc fellow Dr Clara Momoko Geber-Mérida | 1-13 Sep | The Old Piano Shop Gallery, Norwich www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 02/07/2026

[July Third Thursday Lecture - In the Shadow of Empire: Art in Occupied Japan] 📢Professor Alicia Volk (University of Maryland) 🗓️ Thursday 16 July 2026, 6:00pm BST 📍 Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT), SOAS, and on Zoom us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 01/07/2026

Join us for a special keynote lecture at Norwich Castle Museum and online via Zoom! “Militia of Freedom”: The Art Pedagogy of Kitagawa Tamiji. Speaker: Prof Bert Winther-Tamaki. Thu 9 July 2026, 6.00–7.30pm BST More info & registration -> www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 26/06/2026

Join us online for Alternative Paths in Japanese Arts: the Ishibashi Foundation Network Leader Fellowship Programme Workshop! 9-11 July, plus 16 July www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 03/06/2026

[Women in Japan’s Contemporary Craft: Crossing the Boundaries of ‘Tradition’ in Arakawa, Tokyo] June Third Thursday Lecture | 18 June, 6pm BST | In-person at Norwich Cathedral Hostry and online on Zoom | speaker: Dr Clara Momoko Geber-Mérida | www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 04/05/2026

📢 Transnational Japanisms: Art, Craft, Design (15-16 May) The conference programme is now live! 💻 Livestream and online access available 🔗 Register via the conference website www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 01/05/2026

Robert Sainsbury Lecture with Katsuo Suzuki (Chief Curator, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) Wed 13 May 5pm BST, Thomas Paine Study Centre, UEA, followed by a reception. Also available to watch online. More information: www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 10/04/2026

Join Prof. Simon Kaner for Circles of Stone, part of the open‑access International Seminar: Architecture, Design & Research, exploring heritage, interpretation, and preservation in a global context. 📅 17 April 2:30pm online 🔗 www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 01/04/2026

Join us in-person at the Norwich Cathedral Hostry or online for April’s Third Thursday Lecture as Dr Eve Loh‑Kazuhara explores the luminous world of nihonga artist Tanaka Isson. 16 April 2026 6pm BST. www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 23/03/2026

[Transnational Japanisms: Art, craft, design] Join us online for a two day conference in memory of Professor Toshio Watanabe (1945–2025) exploring the future of the study of art, craft and design in a transnational perspective. 15-16 May 2026. www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 05/03/2026

[Third Thursday Lecture - Beyond Doom and Gloom: How Disasters, Survival, and Recovery Have Shaped Japanese Culture]📍 Online via Zoom 📅 Thursday 19 March 2026 🕕 6:00–7:00pm GMT (50-min lecture + Q&A) us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 03/03/2026

Read the new IFNet blog from Joanes Rocha on the relationship between tea and the space where it's consumed. dig.sainsbury-instit... All images by Joanes Rocha.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 26/02/2026

NARA TO NORWICH✏️ BLOG POST: Bury St Edmunds and King Edmund’s Relics Professor Katy Cubitt explores the development of Bury St Edmunds, as part of our pilgrimage of Japan and the UK project naratonorwich.org/bu...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 17/02/2026

New on the IFNet blog: Academic Noir – A Personal Perspective Read the engaging insight into academic detective work posted by Luis Lopez Matus, IFNet Fellow, PhD student at Autonomous University of Mexico. dig.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 30/01/2026

Join us for our Third Thursday Lecture on 19 Feb 6pm! ✨Pilgrimage from Nara to Norwich: Commonalities Across Cultures and Religions 📣Prof Susan Whitfield 📍Norwich Cathedral Hostry or online 🕰️6pm -7pm, followed by a drinks reception 🎫Free, registration essential us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 09/01/2026

NARA TO NORWICH✏️: Preparing for the Walsingham Way For this week's blog, Susan Whitfield brings the first in a series of posts about the Walsingham Way in the lead up to our planned walk of the route 09-12 June 2026. Read more here: naratonorwich.org/pr...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 05/01/2026

Third Thursday Lecture - Samurai, Knights, and Nationalisms: The Middle Ages in Modern Japan Thu 15 Jan 2026 with @olegb.bsky.social (@york.ac.uk) 6:00pm GMT, In-person in Norwich (venue TBC) & online via Zoom 🎟 Free and open to all – booking essential us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 25/12/2025

Season's Greetings from all at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures!

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 22/12/2025

NARA TO NORWICH ✏️ BLOG POST: Sacred Paths, Protected Lands: Pilgrimage, Ecology and Conservation in the Anthropocene explores the symbiotic relationship between pilgrimage sites and protected natural environments. naratonorwich.org/sa...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 19/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined our final Third Thursday Lecture of 2025 in-person at UEA and online. Illuminating talks on Building Eternity were followed by a lively Q&A and a festive drinks reception.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 11/12/2025

This month's bumper edition e-bulletin is out now! Sign up to our mailing list to her from us directly to your inbox! Photo: The Cortazzis visiting the Sainsbury Institute sainsbury-institute....

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 03/12/2025

[Call for applications – Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellowships 2026-27] For PhD holders/Early Career Researchers of Japanese visual and material cultures. Starting Sep 2026. Based in Norwich UK. Further information -> www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 02/12/2025

[Third Thursday Lecture - Building Eternity: Japanese Perspectives on Sustainability and the Sacred] Thurs 18 Dec, 5-7pm at UEA Lecture Theatre 1, and Zoom. Email us for in-person attendance. Online registration here - us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 26/11/2025

📢 Join us for Japan and Colonialism: A Transregional Approach 🗓 Thu 4 Dec | 🕙 10:00–12:00 GMT 📍 Earlham Hall EH 0.12, UEA Open to all, no registration needed! Talks + panel on Japan’s colonial history.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 17/11/2025

NARA TO NORWICH ✏️ BLOG: Sacred Routes and Hydrological Worlds: Water and waterscapes in pilgrimage Olivia Butler explores the central role that water and waterscapes play within routes linking sacred spaces and at sites of pilgrimage themselves. naratonorwich.org/sa... 1/2

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 11/11/2025

NARA TO NORWICH ✏️ BLOG POST: Exploring Pilgrimage across Britain and Japan For this week's post, project member Olivia Butler introduces the first in a series comparing pilgrimage sites across Britain and Japan. naratonorwich.org/ex...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 07/11/2025

Meet Dr Clara Momoko Geber-Mérida, a Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow 2025-26. To find out more about the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellowships, including eligibility and application process for the 2026–27 openings, visit: www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 07/11/2025

Meet Dr Eve Loh-Kazuhara, a Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow 2025-26. To find out more about the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellowships, including eligibility and application process for the 2026–27 openings, visit: www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 03/11/2025

[ONLINE THIRD THURSDAY LECTURE - Networks of Violence and Trade: Premodern Piracy in Japanese Waters] Date: Thursday 20 November, 2025 Time: 6:00pm GMT - 7:00pm GMT Speaker: Dr Michelle Damian (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) Sign up here: us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 20/10/2025

[In-person talk - Okinawan Craft: History and the Present] 📅 Mon 3 Nov | 🕔 5–7 PM GMT 📍 Duke St Lecture Theatre, NUA, Norwich Speaker: Prof Junko Kobayashi Free for all, booking essential. More info: www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 17/10/2025

NARA TO NORWICH PROJECT BLOG ✏️ Obsidian-knapping in the Oki Islands Prof Simon Kaner explores how obsidian shaped Jōmon people & its importance in ancient Japan's networks. 🎥 Thanks to Makoto Shirai, Koji Yawata & Pauline Coste. 🔗 naratonorwich.org/ob...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 13/10/2025

EXHIBITION - Okinawan Kōgei: Crafting Continuity and Change Crypt Gallery, Norwich 29 Oct–1 Nov Explore stunning works by contemporary Okinawan artists in weaving, bingata dyeing, ceramics & lacquerware. Curated by Dr Eriko Tomizawa-Kay. www.sainsbury-instit...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 10/10/2025

🥾 Pilgrimage and the Anthropocene Next week, the Nara to Norwich team walks from Hase Temple to Ise Shrine, exploring pilgrimage, landscape & spiritual experience. 📖 Read the blog: naratonorwich.org/pi... 📸 Follow @Nara2Norwich on Instagram!

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 19/09/2025

Explore “Nara to Norwich” in VR! Read how the Forum exhibition went digital with Lateral North, bringing Japanese heritage to a global audience via XR. 🌍🏛️ 📝 Blog: naratonorwich.org/exhibiting-n... 🎮 VR tour: naratonorwich.org/virtual-exhi...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 15/09/2025

We were delighted to welcome 32 students from Kyoto Saga University of Arts last week as part of their UK study tour. After visiting London galleries and joining a workshop at NUA, they engaged enthusiastically with our research projects at the Sainsbury Institute.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 12/09/2025

We’re pleased to announce the relaunch of our Nara to Norwich website, marking a new phase in the project. Explore new research themes, including Sacred Landscapes & Maritime Routes, and access our new VR exhibition online: naratonorwich.org/we...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 05/09/2025

The first of our joint lecture series on Japanese Studies with Royal Asiatic Society and Courtauld Institute of Art is taking place on Tue 9 Sep, in-person and online. Email mb@royalasiaticsociety.org to register royalasiaticsociety.org/event/japan-...

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 01/09/2025

Third Thursday Lecture – Tradition Reimagined: Okinawan Art and Kōgei in the 21st Century | 18 Sep 2025 | 6pm | In-person at Norwich Cathedral Hostry and on Zoom | Speaker: Dr ErikoTomizawa-Kay (SISJAC/UEA). For in person registration email us, for Zoom: tinyurl.com/SepTTL

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 19/08/2025

Yesterday we welcomed 20 Tohoku University students to the Sainsbury Institute! Their EDI presentations were thoughtful, confident, and impressively delivered in English.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 09/08/2025

Today we attended No More Hiroshimas: Norwich to mark 80 years since Hiroshima & Nagasaki atomic bombings. We're grateful to Rev Joy Croft for inviting us, and Lauren Constance & Hasedera Temple for their powerful contributions. Image: Peace Pole, Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 06/08/2025

Professor Simon Kaner is in Hiroshima today for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. He shares this video of lanterns being launched on the Motoyasu River.

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 04/08/2025

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of the Sainsbury Institute's Emeritus Prof Toshio Watanabe on 27 July. A cherished scholar, mentor and friend. www.sainsbury-instit...

Potrait of Emeritus Professor Toshio Watanabe on a grey background. The text below the photo says his name in English and Japanese and 1945 - 2025.

English text on a grey background that reads:

It is with deep regret that we pass on the news that Toshio Watanabe, our Professor Emeritus of Japanese Arts and Cultural Heritage passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on 27 July while on holiday with his family in Hokkaido.
We will be reflecting further on Toshio’s exceptional contribution to the field of Japanese art studies in due course. In the meantime, suffice it to say that we have lost a wonderful colleague, friend and mentor. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family at this sad time.

Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures

Text in Japanese on a grey background that reads:セインズベリー日本藝術研究所名誉教授である渡辺俊夫の訃報を、深い悲しみとともにお知らせいたします。渡辺教授は、7月27日、北海道でご家族と休暇中に、予期せぬ形で、しかし安らかにご逝去されました。渡辺教授の日本美術研究分野における並外れた業績については、改めて振り返る機会を設けたいと考えております。ひとまず、この場では、私たちが素晴らしい同僚であり、友人であり、指導者を失ったことをお伝えすると同時に、ご遺族の皆様に心よりお悔やみ申し上げます。
セインズベリー日本藝術研究所

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 17/07/2025

Welcome to the July Third Thursday Lecture at the Norwich Cathedral Hostry!

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 07/07/2025

Our project website ‘Archives of Postwar Japanese Art in Europe’ is now live! Visit the site here: dig.sainsbury-instit...

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