February brings an exciting month for Japanese music and live performance fans as there are some great events coming up in the next few weeks, and you can find all the details listed below in our Japanese Events in February calendar.
A few of the highlighted events in February you don’t want to miss include PAWAA UP! LVL.2 Live Japanese Music Night for Japanese Pop & Rock at Hope & Anchor, Music Concert by Kimura & Ono with Kit Downes for traditional Japanese instruments at Kings Place, Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams by Mystery Ensemble for magical music from Studio Ghibli movies in London and Oxford as well as the ever popular My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican Theatre.
For those who love or would like to try Japanese food and drinks, you might like to indulge in Afternoon Tea with a Japanese twist at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square.
Apart from the above, if you’re interested in Japanese art and culture, there are Origami (paper folding) and Shodo (calligraphy) workshops as well as Yoko Matsumoto’s Exhibition at White Cube.
February 4th: PAWAA UP! LVL.2 Live Japanese Music Night!
- Date: Sunday, February 4th 2024
- Time: 18:30 – 23:00
- Admission: £5
- Location: Hope & Anchor, 207 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1RL
“PAWAA UP!” is BACK!!! A LIVE Japanese Music Night!🤘🤘 Featuring the hero headliner band from London PRESS X!!! Support acts will feature JERO11, KANNY and BLACK TSUBAKI 🎵🎸🎤🎤🎵
PAWAA UP! (パ和ーアップ) is an event series bringing live Japanese Pop and Rock to locations across the UK! The second in its series (LVL. 2) features PRESS X,a London rock band that writes songs based on popular video games. Their music spans several genres, blending an eclectic mix of citypop, hard rock, and 8-bit chiptunes!🎮🕹️👾
JERO11 is heavy metal guitarist and electric shamisen player that is inspired by traditional Japanese instruments (和楽器) and traditional Japanese music👺
KANNY is a high-energy Japanese Pop singer and BLACK TSUBAKI is traditional Japanese Rock singer.
Doors at 18:30 on Sun Feb 4th 2024 at the Hope and Anchor in Islington, London. See you there🤘🤘よろしくお願いします！Please note: the Hope and Anchor is a strictly 18+ Venue!
For more information and booking, please check the PAWAA UP! LVL.2 Live Japanese Music Night! page.
February 6th: Japanese Conversation Group
- Date: Tuesday, February 6th 2024
- Time: 19:00 – 23:00
- Admission: £3 without buffet, £5 – £6 with buffet. Discounts available for students and Japan Society members. Advance registration is not required.
- 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 9th: Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams by Mystery Ensemble
- Date: Friday, February 9th 2024
- Time: 19:30 – 20:30 (doors will open 30 mins prior to the scheduled start time)
- Ticket: From £20.21
- Location: Kensington United Reformed Church, Allen Street, London W8 6BL
The Miyazaki Dreams concert is an immersion in the fabulous atmosphere of the films of the world-famous Japanese director and Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki. Mystery Ensemble has collected magical music from his cartoons and compositions inspired by his creations. Musical themes will take viewers into famous anime stories’ atmosphere and introduce brave heroines, magical creatures and characters inspired by Japanese folklore.
For more information and booking tickets, please check the Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams by Mystery Ensemble in London page.
February 10th: Happy Origami Workshop
- Date: Saturday, February 10th 2024
- Time: 14:00 – 15:30
- Fee: £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 how 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 out the Happy Origami Workshop page.
February 23rd: Shodo The Art of Japanese Calligraphy
- Date: Friday, February 23rd 2024
- Time: 13:30 – 16:30 with a tea break
- Fee: £58
- Location: School of SHODO, The Art Worker’s Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AT (first floor)
All materials included and the utensils are prepared. You’ll have 90min x2 (3 hours) of hands-on instruction, including 1 to 1 help and learn essential brush movements, calligraphy techniques and how to use all four treasures of the studies, brush, paper, ink and ink stone. You will also receive tips, advice and detailed insights from a practicing calligrapher: plenty of inspiration and techniques to experience the mindfulness process.
For booking and more info, please check the Shodo The Art of Japanese Calligraphy page.
February 29th: Kimura & Ono with Kit Downes Betwixt Mortality & Immortality Surpassing Entities, Separate Entities
- Date: Thursday, February 29th 2024
- Time: 20:00 (Doors: 19:30)
- Price: £10 – £20.50 + 10% booking fee
- Location: Hall Two, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GE
Embark on a Japan-UK musical odyssey as Kit Downes on piano harmonises with KIMURA Shunsuke on the shinobue (traverse bamboo flute) and ONO Etsuro on Tsugaru shamisen (three string banjo). This event will last approximately 2 hours, including an interval. In partnership with The Japan Foundation.
For booking and more information, please visit the Kimura & Ono with Kit Downes page.
Ongoing Japanese Events in February: My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican Theatre | Afternoon Tea at Nobu Hotel Portman Square | Yoko Matsumoto at White Cube
1) My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican Theatre
- Date: Tuesday, November 21st 2023 to Saturday, March 23rd 2024
- Time: 19:00 Monday – Saturday | 14:00 Thursday & Saturday (More details here)
- Running Time: 2 hours 40 minutes including interval
- Ticket: From £25
- Location: Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
My Neighbour Totoro is an enchanting coming-of-age story exploring the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, as it follows one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei. Book soon for this unmissable, “huge, healing hug of a show” (The Stage). Due to high demand, this show can be sold out quickly, but any returned tickets will be back for sale at any time. You can check for availability by clicking the Check dates & book link on My Neighbour Totoro page.
For more information and booking tickets, please check out the My Neighbour Totoro page.
2) Afternoon Tea at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
- Date: Monday to Sunday
- Time: 13:00 – 13:30 | 15:15 – 15:45
- Price: £68
- Location: The Lounge, Nobu Hotel, 22 Portman Square, London EC2Y 8DS
What better way to enjoy Afternoon Tea than in the heart of Central London at Nobu Lounge at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square. Michael Paul, the Executive Chef of the hotel, has put a Japanese twist on the classic Afternoon tea, in true Nobu style, incorporating a fusion of flavours, crafted to tantalise your tastebuds. Twists on the signatures found in Nobu Portman Square include a selection of cup sushi to start, Crispy Chicken Kara-age to follow and a Hojicha cheescake – to name but a few.
For more information and booking, please check the Afternoon Tea at The Lounge Nobu Hotel London page.
3) Yoko Matsumoto at White Cube
- Date: Thursday January 18th – Saturday March 9th 2024
- Time: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Free
- Location: White Cube Mason’s Yard, 25 – 26 Mason’s Yard, London SW1Y 6BU
White Cube Mason’s Yard is pleased to present the debut UK solo exhibition of the Japanese artist Yoko Matsumoto. Featuring paintings and works on paper from the mid-1980s to the present day, the exhibition introduces Matsumoto’s expressive and disciplined abstraction. Born in 1936 in Tokyo, Matsumoto’s expressive and disciplined abstraction is informed by lineages of Japanese art, in particular the monochromatic ink drawing practice of suiboku-ga.
For more information, please visit the Yoko Matsumoto Exhibition page.
Outside of London Japanese Events: Nihongo Yoga & Social Meeting (Edinburgh) | Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams by Mystery Ensemble (Oxford)
1) February 4th: Nihongo Yoga with Japanese and English & Social Meeting
- Date: Sunday, February 4th 2024
- Time: 11:30 – 13:00 (about 45mins yoga practice & 45 mins tea time)
- 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. She enjoys spending time with class participants after sessions and for everyone to socialise and get to know each other. 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
2) Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams by Mystery Ensemble
- Date: Thursday, February 8th 2024
- Time: 19:00 – 20:00 (doors will open 30 mins prior to the scheduled start time)
- Ticket: From £20.21
- Location: Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s Oxford OX1 1BX
The Miyazaki Dreams concert is an immersion in the fabulous atmosphere of the films of the world-famous Japanese director and Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki. Mystery Ensemble has collected magical music from his cartoons and compositions inspired by his creations. Musical themes will take viewers into famous anime stories’ atmosphere and introduce brave heroines, magical creatures and characters inspired by Japanese folklore.
For more information and booking tickets, please check the Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams by Mystery Ensemble in Oxford page.
We hope you found our Japanese Events for February 2024 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 make sure to come back and check the latest events listed.
Also 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.
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.
