UK arts events in Japan
Please note that, due to the rapidly changing COVID-19 coronavirus situation, all events are subject to cancellation or postponement. Please check event/organiser websites for the latest information.
The King’s Man
This prequel to the hit film Kingsman: The Secret Service, by English director Matthew Vaughn, who co-wrote the screenplay, is set in the early 20th century and depicts how the suave Kingsman agency was formed. Starring British actors Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Gemma Arterton.
© 2020 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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Constable: A History of His Affections in England
Coming to Japan for the first time in 30 years is a collection of works by English landscape painter John Constable. Comprising large-scale landscape and portrait oil paintings, this exhibition at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum in Tokyo will show Constable’s focus on his own life through paintings of areas such as Salisbury, Hampstead and Brighton.
JohnConstable The Bridges Family 1804 Presented by Mrs WalterBogue Bridges 1952 ©Tate
2-6-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
War Horse
Screenings of the Olivier Award-winning theatre production of War Horse are now underway in Japan. The critically acclaimed production, based on the book by British writer Michael Morpurgo, is a must see.
© Brinkhoff & Mogenburg
12 March–13 March (Kyoto)
TOHO Cinemas Nijyo
Osaka Station City Cinema
Vivarium
This award-winning mystery thriller, starring British actress Imogen Poots and directed by Irishman Lorcan Finnegan, follows a young couple looking for the perfect home who find themselves stuck in a neighbourhood that is a maze of identical houses.
© Fantastic Films Ltd/Frakas Productions SPRL/Pingpong Film
Love Sarah
In this romantic comedy by British director Eliza Schroeder, a young woman seeks to fulfil her mother’s dream of opening a bakery on Notting Hill in London.
2-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006
Tomoo Hamada: Imaginings on St Ives, England
The Japanese artist shares his hopes for a bright future through 150 works, including sculptures specially made for this exhibition.
3-5-13 Fukasawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-0081
Prince Hotels British Fair 2020: Timeless UK
Dip into a world of famous spy novels, experience a recreation of the delights from Downton Abbey, and enjoy original recipes from the executive head chef of the five-star Prince Akatoki London.
KING & QUEEN from the National Portrait Gallery, London
Explore some 90 portrait paintings and photographs of the five British dynasties—from the House of Tudor to the current House of Windsor.
Image: Queen Elizabeth I ('The Armada Portrait') ©National Portrait Gallery, London
1-2 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
The Keeper
This British–German biographical film tells the true story of a former member of the Hitler Youth who becomes a soccer star in England.
©2018 Lieblingsfilm & Zephyr Films Trautmann
3-15-15 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Official Secrets
Directed by Gavin Hood and starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, this is the true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Photo: Nick Wall © Official Secrets Holdings, LLC
1-2-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006
Billy Elliot—Little Dancer
Based on the film about a working-class boy in Northern England who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, this hit musical features songs by the legendary Elton John.
Akasaka Sacas, 5-3-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8006
Imperial Hotel Tokyo: British Week
This year, the annual event will feature a special afternoon tea to mark the 130th birthday of both the hotel and English author Agatha Christie.
AGATHA CHRISTIE is a registered trademark of Agatha Christie Limited in the UK and elsewhere. All rights reserved.
1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8558
Cerith Wyn Evans Exhibition
The work of Welsh conceptual artist, sculptor and filmmaker Cerith Wyn Evans, renowned for using abstract materials such as light and sound to appeal to the senses, is on display at the Pola Museum of Art. It is Evans’ first solo exhibition in Japan. Photo: Ken Kato
Violet
A multi-award-winning musical based on Doris Betts' short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim”. This joint production by the Charing Cross Theatre and the Umeda Arts Theater received good reviews for the performances held at the Charing Cross Theatre, London, between January and April 2019. Performances by a Japanese cast will be held in Tokyo in April.
1-8-1 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021
Small Island
Helen Edmunson’s stage adaptation of British author Andrea Levy’s book Small Island—featuring a company of 40 actors—is coming to Japan. Exploring the history of Jamaica and the UK during World War II, three stories intertwine in this critically praised play. Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots.
Photo: Brinkhoff Moegenburg
2-3-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022
Cine Libre, Ikebukuro
1-11-1 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021