February brings with it slightly warmer weather, and although there will probably be many chilly days ahead, here is our list of Japanese Events taking place in February to keep your mind off the thermometer. First, on a cold day, it’s nice to have hot or warm sake, and with this in mind, West London Wine School has a “Seasonal Sake Tasting – Winter” event to explore the fascinating world of warm sake. They hold a WSET Level 1 Award in SAKE: One Day Course as well. There are also two “Introduction to Sake” workshops in February. One is by West London Wine School and the other is by Pantechnicon.
For those who would like to learn Japanese art and culture, there are Ikebana (flower arrangement), Kintsugi (golden repair of broken items), Origami (paper folding), and Mokuhanga (woodblock printing) workshops. If you’re interested in meeting people and speaking Japanese in an informal and friendly atmosphere, Japan Society is holding their Japanese Conversation Group event.
Meanwhile, if you’re living further north and close to Edinburgh, there’s the Japanese Book Club event hosted by Ippo Ippo, the Japanese Film Festival by the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh, the History of Art Research Seminar (Hybrid Event) by Edinburgh College of Art, and if you want to practice your Japanese while doing a spot of Yoga, you can try out the Nihongo Yoga and Social Meeting listed below in the Outside of London Events section of our Japanese Events February 2023 calendar.
February 3rd: Introduction To Sake with Natsuki Kikuya
- Date: Friday, February 3rd 2023
- Time: 18:00 – 19:00 | 19:00 – 20:00 | 20:00 – 21:00
- Introduction to Sake Workshop Experience Fee: £70.00
- Location: Sakaya at Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb St, London, SW1X 8LB
Join an intimate workshop and tasting with Sake Samurai Natsuki Kikuya and take your first step to becoming a sake-drinking pro. There’s three sessions to choose from at 6 pm, 7 pm, and 8 pm.
Each tasting has just four places and is priced at £70 per person, which includes the tasting of four sake plus Japanese snacks and a 6-piece Maki roll to share.
For more information and booking, please check the Introduction to Sake Workshop Experience page.
February 7th: Japanese Conversation Group
- Date: Tuesday, February 7th 2023
- Time: 19:00 – 23:00
- Cost: No Booking Required – Just turn up and pay at the door a small fee to cover the costs of the buffet
- Location: Shakespeare’s Head, 29 Great Marlborough Street, Soho, London W1F 7HZ
The Japanese Conversation Group provides a friendly and informal atmosphere for Japanese speakers of all nationalities to come together and speak Japanese – intermediate level recommended.
Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month. They begin at 7.00pm and finish around 11.00pm.
For more information, please visit the Japanese Conversation Group page .
February 8th: Introduction to Sake Tasting
- Date: Wednesday, February 8th 2023
- Time: 19:00 – 21:00
- Entrance cost: £40 per person
- Location: West London Wine School, located inside The Wine Cellars (access via the Big Yellow Storage Company entrance) 71 Townmead Road, Fulham, London SW6 2SG
Curious about sake, but not sure where to start? This tasting is perfect for anyone new to sake (especially wine lovers), who want to discover how it is made and taste the diversity of of its unique styles. Sake tutor Sarah will cover the basics of history, ingredients, production and classification, introduce the major styles and show how basic wine tasting principles can easily be applied to sake. You will taste six different styles of sake alongside cheese and nibbles to help enhance flavours and introduce sake and food pairing concepts.
For more information and booking, please check the Introduction to Sake Tasting page.
February 9th & 25th: Happy Origami Workshop
- Date & Time: Thursday, February 9th 19:00 – 20:30 | Saturday February 25th 14:00 – 15:30
- Admission: £15
- Location: THE SNOOTY FOX (Opposite Canonbury Overground Station), 75 Grosvenor Avenue, London, N5 2NN
This is a wonderful Origami experience where you will learn about Japanese traditions. Just by folding paper, you will be happy and calm and before long it will bring a smile to your face.
Japanese Origami artist Toshiko, a member of British Origami Society, will be teaching you to fold beautiful flowers like tulips and lilies, kimono book marks, lovely gift & jewellery boxes and kawaii dress bunting.
For more information and booking, please check the Happy Origami Workshop page.
February 15th: Seasonal Sake Tasting – Winter
- Date: Wednesday, February 15th 2023
- Time: 19:00 – 21:00
- Entrance cost: £45 per person
- Location: West London Wine School, located inside The Wine Cellars (access via the Big Yellow Storage Company entrance) 71 Townmead Road, Fulham, London SW6 2SG
Keep warm this winter and stave off the cold by exploring the fascinating world of warm sake. Sake tutor Sarah will teach you a number of methods to easily warm sake at home, explain the various sake service temperatures and help you recognize the best styles of sake warmed up.
On the evening you will taste six different winter sake across a variety of styles and service temperatures, accompanied by fine cheeses and Japanese-influenced nibbles including a handmade seasonal wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet).
For more information and booking, please visit the West London Wine School Seasonal Sake Tasting page.
February 16th & 17th: Family Woodblock Printing (Activity)
- Date: Thursday, February 16th & Friday February 17th 2023
- Time: 10:30 – 12:00 | 12:30 – 14:00 | 14:30 – 16:00
- Admission: Free with standard admission (Pre-booking is essential. To secure your place, book your exhibition ticket with an entry slot before and including 14:15 on the 16th/17th)
- Location: The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA
Join artist Hiroko Imada to try your hand at Japanese woodblock printing.
Inspired by the Japanese collection at The Queen’s Gallery, design, learn and experience the traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique to create your own print. At the end of the workshop, all participating children will have their own, unique, Japanese print to bring back home!
For more information, please check the Family Woodblock Printing page.
February 23rd: The Art of Ikebana (Lecture/Talk)
- Date : Thursday, February 23rd, 2023
- Time : 13:00 – 14:00
- Fee: Included in Exhibition ticket or 1-Year Pass
- Location: The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA
Join The Art of Ikebana event to discover more about the practice of Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral design. An expert tutor will create three spectacular, seasonal arrangements, followed by an opportunity for the audience to ask questions. The demonstration will show how cut stems, leaves and flowers are arranged to create an aesthetic balance between the flowers, vessel and the surrounding space.
This event is held in collaboration with Japan House London.
For more information, please check The Art of Ikebana page.
February 25th: The Art of the Broken, Kintsugi Workshop with Nishikawa Iku
- Date: Saturday, February 25th 2023
- Time: 14:00 – 17:00
- Admission: £129.95
- Location: Studio Pottery London, 29 Eccleston Place, London, SW1W 9NF
Kintsugi is the centuries-old Japanese repair technique which uses Japanese lacquer (urushi) dusted with powdered precious metals to restore broken ceramic vessels. During the small-group workshops, each participant can gain practical kintsugi repair skills while fixing a crack on a ceramic item using urushi and powdered brass. Guests can take away their finished pieces, along with the knowledge of how to use kintsugi techniques to repair their own broken items at home.
For booking and more info, please visit the Kintsugi Workshop on the 25th page.
February 26th: WSET Level 1 Award in Sake | One Day Course (Classroom Format)
- Date: Sunday, February 26th 2023
- Time: 10:30 – 17:30
- Entrance cost: £185 per person
- Location: West London Wine School, located inside The Wine Cellars (access via the Big Yellow Storage Company entrance) 71 Townmead Road, Fulham, London SW6 2SG
The WSET Level 1 Award in Sake is an enjoyable, relaxed and interactive course that provides the perfect introduction to Japan’s most famous beverage.
During this one-day course you will learn how to taste sake using the WSET method and practice your new skills on seven delicious sake examples served at a variety of different temperatures as well as learning about the basics of sake history, production, categories and service.
For more information and booking, please visit the West London Wine School WSET Level 1 Award in Sake: One Day Course page.
Ongoing Japanese Events in February
Bizen Ware Display at Japan House
- Date: Monday, December 12th 2022 to Monday, February 27th 2023
- Japan House Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 20:00 | Sundays & Bank Holidays 12:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Free
- Location: Ground Floor, Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High St, London, W8 5SA
Visit Japan House London this winter to discover the qualities of Bizen ware, a type of Japanese earthenware from the town of Bizen near Okayama City.
Tea master Sen no Rikyu advocated, “the way of tea is simply to boil the water, then drink the tea” and enjoyed “the grass of a small tatami-floored room, a breeze along the pathway”. These preferences extended to a simple appreciation of Bizen ware. In 1982 Bizen ware was designated a Traditional Craft of Japan, and recognized as one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns in April 2017.
For more information, please visit the Japan House London Bizen Ware display page.
Japan: Courts and Culture Exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery
- Date: Friday, April 8th 2022 to Sunday, February 26th 2023 (Thursday to Monday weekly)
- Admission: Adult £17.00 | Young Person (18-24) £11.00 | Child (5-17) / Disabled £9.00 | Under 5 Free
- Location: The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA
The Royal Collection holds some of the most significant examples of Japanese art and design in the western world. For the first time, highlights from this outstanding collection are brought together to tell the story of 300 years of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families. The exhibition includes rare pieces of porcelain and lacquer, samurai armour, embroidered screens and diplomatic gifts from the reigns of James I to Queen Elizabeth II. Together, they offer a unique insight into the worlds of ritual, honour and artistry linking the courts and cultures of Britain and Japan.
For more information and booking, please visit the Japan: Courts and Culture page.
Outside of London Events (Edinburgh): Yoga | Japanese Book Club | History of Art Research Seminar (Hybrid Event) | Japanese Film Festival
February 5th: Nihongo Yoga (with Japanese and English) & Social Meeting
- Date: Sunday, February 5th 2023
- Time: 11:00 – 12:30
- Duration: 90 mins (about 45mins yoga practice and 45 mins for tea time)
- Event fee: £10 although if you bring snacks to share with everyone it is half price.
- Location: Yoga Studio Art and Spirituality, 6-8 Alexander Drive, Gorgie, Edinburgh, EH11 2RH
This is a unique class for people who study Japanese or like Japanese culture and allows them to have the chance to meet new like-minded people. Instructor Kotomi will conduct the class in both English and Japanese.
Kotomi enjoys spending time with class participants after sessions and for everyone to socialise and get to know each other. Unlike many yoga classes and Japanese classes where you have to leave immediately after the class finishes, at Nihongo Yoga, you can get plenty of opportunity to talk after.
You can find more event information here: Nihongo Yoga with Japanese and English & Social Meeting.
February 6th: Japanese Book Club | In-Person Event
- Date: Monday, February 6th 2023
- Time: 18:30 – 19:30 GMT
- Participation cost: £5 voucher or book a free place if you’re broke
- Location: Lighthouse Bookshop, West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB
Join Elly and fellow Japanese tutor Hitomi Kobayashi at the second gathering of their new Japanese Book Club.
You don’t have to have attended the previous event – this is a drop-in book club, meaning you can join as often (or seldom) as you like. There’s also no reading prep/homework!
This event will take place at Edinburgh’s Lighthouse Bookshop.
For more information, please check the IppoIppo Event page.
February 9th: History of Art Research Seminar – Linda Hoaglund
- Date: Thursday, February 9th 2023
- Time: 17:00 – 19:00
- Admission: Free | Get a Zoom link for online viewing or reserve a spot in advance
- Location: Hunter Lecture Theatre 0.17 Hunter Building (Edinburgh College of Art) 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF
In Edo Avant Garde, bilingual filmmaker Linda Hoaglund reveals how Japanese artists of the Edo era (1603 ~ 1868) pioneered the tenets of what we now call Modern art. The film focuses on Edo artists’ magically realistic impressions of the natural world painted on scrolls and byobu, dynamic, large-scale folding screens displayed in tatamimat rooms in versatile ways that anticipate installation art.
For more information, please visit the eventbrite page: History of Art Research Seminar – Linda Hoaglund
February 9th, 17th & 24th: Japanese Film Festival
- Date: Thursday, February 9th, Friday 17th and 24th 2023
- Time: 17:00 – 21:00
- Admission: Free | Need to reserve a spot in advance
- Location: Lecture Theatre G.03, 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh EH8 9JU
Starting on Thursday, 9th of February, and continuing on Friday the 17th and 24th, The Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh together with the Japanese Studies department at the University of Edinburgh will be offering a free screening of a different contemporary Japanese film, accompanied by a short explanatory talk from a series of relevant speakers including members of the Japanese Department.
For more information, please visit the eventbrite pages: Little Nights, Little Love on the 9th, Key of Life on the 17th, Neko Ninja on the 24th
Your reviews of Japanese Events February 2023
We hope you found our Japanese Events for February round up helpful, and you’re able to check out some of these fantastic events!
We’ll be updating this event page as we get more info, so please do come back to check it from time to time, and please feel free to comment below on your experience if you were able to attend! This will give our readers a better idea of what to expect and may encourage them to join future events by the same organizers.
Also, if you’d like to submit information for your Japanese event coming up in February or March, please get in touch with us through our contact form.
