June brings a wide range of Japanese events and festivals that will be held throughout the month. One of the highlighted events is London’s first ever ‘Bonsai Show’, which is being held at Covent Garden Market where you can admire the art of Bonsai with 100 trees on display. If you’re more into music and live performances, there’s the ‘Okinawa Day’ festival for the music, dance and culture of Japan’s southernmost islands at The Blue Market, ‘PAWAA UP! LVL.3 Live Japanese Music Night’ for Japanese Pop & Rock at Hope & Anchor, and ‘Japan Power – Save Noto, Live in London’ for Showa era J-POP, traditional minyo music and ballroom dancing as well as a chance to taste delicious Japanese sake and win fantastic prizes! Also, ‘Japan FEST’ is held in Mansfield to enjoy Japanese culture with lively performances, fun activities and a range of stalls. You can find further details on each in our Japanese Events in June calendar below.
Meanwhile, if you want to take time out for peaceful and tranquil moments, there’s the ‘June Summer Special’ to unwind with forest bathing in the beautiful woods at Salcey in Northampton. Those near to the location or who can make it there are sure to have a great Shinrin-yoku time in the stunning forest setting.
Apart from those mentioned above, there are several Japanese food, art & culture related workshops where you can try your hand at creating a variety of items, such as Sushi, Wagashi (confectionery), Ikebana (flower arrangement), Shodo (calligraphy), Origami (paper folding), and Suminagashi (paper marbling). Finally, you might like to take an opportunity to go to one of the Japanese related events including art exhibitions where you can enter for free.
June 4th: Japanese Conversation Group
- Date: Tuesday, June 4th 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..
June 7th: School of SHODO – ‘The Art of Japanese Calligraphy’
- Date: Friday, June 7th 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 out the Shodo The Art of Japanese Calligraphy page.
June 8th: Workshop – An Introduction to Ikenobo Ikebana
- Date: Saturday, June 8th 2024
- Time: 9:30 – 13:00
- Fee: £85
- Location: Enso London, 65A Hopton Street, London SE1 9LR
This workshop is perfect for anyone interested in exploring the world of Ikebana. After a brief introduction to Ikenobo, and a demonstration, you will be guided through creating your own stunning Ikebana. You will have the opportunity to arrange a Jiyuka (free Style) using a vase and materials of your choice and take pictures of your work in a designated photo area. During the workshop tea and coffee are available. At the end, you will take the flowers you used in your creation home.
For more information and booking, please check the Workshop – An Introduction to Ikenobo Ikebana page.
June 8th: Happy Origami Workshop
- Date: Saturday, June 8th 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.
June 8th & 9th: Bonsai Show
- Date: Saturday, June 8th & Sunday, June 9th 2024
- Time: Saturday 8:00 – 18:00 | Sunday 11:00 – 16:00
- Admission: Free
- Location: Upstairs, Mezzanine, Covent Garden Market, 130 King Street, London, ON N6A 1C5
London’s first ever bonsai show at the Covent Garden Market on Saturday June 8th and Sunday, June 9th! With 100 trees on display, vendors, and prizes for participants, this is going to be a show for anyone who’s interested in the art of bonsai!
For more information, please visit the Bonsai Show page.
June 14th – 16th: Foundland Party
- Date: Friday June 14th, Saturday June 15th & Sunday June 16th 2024
- Time: Friday 17:00 – 20:30 | Saturday 13:00 – 17:00 | Sunday 13:00 – 17:00
- Admission: Free
- Location: 98 Weston Park, London N8 9PP
Playful gift store Foundland, known for its crafts and homewares from Japan and around the world, is throwing a Hanakin 花金 aka ‘Yay it’s the Weekend’ party 14th to 16th June. All ages invited: expect origami workshops, three-minute portraits, Japanese city-pop on the stereo, surprises in store, goody bags, drinks on them and cake. Free and drop-in.
For more information, please check out the Foundland Party page.
June 16th: Japanese Wagashi Workshop
- Date: Sunday, June 16th 2024
- Time: 11:00 – 12:00
- Cost: £30
- Location: 98 Weston Park, London N8 9PP
Nerikiri are a particularly elegant and decorative type of wagashi (delicate handmade Japanese confectionery), often paired with green tea and served at Japanese tea ceremonies. They’re as much an art form as they are tasty, often reflecting nature, the seasons and even poetry. In this workshop you’ll learn to create an adorable cat-shaped sweet and a beautiful sakura, both with a soft filling.
For more information and booking, please check the Japanese Wagashi Workshop page.
June 22nd (& 29th): Sushi Making Class
- Date: Saturday, June 22nd and Saturday, June 29th 2024
- Time: 15:30 – 18:30
- Cost: £99
- Location: Atsuko’s Kitchen, 57 Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG
Join the most popular hands-on practical sushi making class with Sushi Made Simple cookbook author, Atsuko! She will guide you through the art of the sushi making process, step-by-step, combining traditional techniques and new approaches. First, you will learn how to cook classic premium white sushi rice, then make a variety of sushi including maki (hosomaki, California roll and temaki hand roll), and some kinds of nigiri.
For booking and more info, please check out the Sushi Making Classes page.
June 22nd: Okinawa Day 2024
- Date: Saturday, June 22nd 2024
- Time: 11:00 – 17:00
- Admission: Free
- Location: The Blue Market, Bermondsey, London SE16 3UQ
Since 1999, London Okinawa Sanshinkai has been introducing the culture of Okinawa (the southernmost islands of Japan) to the UK through music and dance performances.Their main event “Okinawa Day” has celebrated the richness and uniqueness of Okinawan culture since 2009.
For more information, please visit the Okinawa Day 2024 page.
June 23rd: PAWAA UP! LVL.3 Live Japanese Music Night!
- Date: Sunday, June 23rd 2024
- Time: 18:00 – 22:00
- Admission: £8 + £1.38 Fee
- Location: Hope & Anchor, 207 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1RL
PAWAA UP! (パ和ーアップ) is an event series bringing live Japanese Pop and Rock to locations across the UK! The third in its series (LVL. 3) features JERO11,is a heavy metal guitarist and electric shamisen player that is inspired by traditional Japanese instruments (和楽器) and traditional Japanese music👺. His music blends guitar metal with electric shamisen, with huge influences from anime, vocaloid and J-trad music !⛩️🎸👹 KANNY is a high-energy Japanese Pop singer and BLACK TSUBAKI is traditional Japanese Rock singer.
Doors at 18:30 on Sunday June 23rd 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 out the PAWAA UP! LVL.3 Live Japanese Music Night! page.
June 28th, 29th & 30th: Yokimono Japanese Market
- Date: Friday June 28th, Saturday June 29th & Sunday June 30th 2024
- Time: Friday 15:00 – 20:00 | Saturday & Sunday 11:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Free Entry & Family Friendly
- Location: The Factory, 21-31 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, Hackney, London, E8 2DA
YOKIMONO (よきもの, meaning ‘good things’ in Japanese) Market is a Japan-themed market and cultural event in East London. There will be a wide variety of stalls offering artisan made goods produced in Japan, or hand crafted by Japanese artists and craft makers in London. As well as market stalls, there will also be live performances, workshops & demonstrations.
For more info, please visit the Yokimono Japanese Market – summer ’24 in Dalston page.
June 29th: Japan Power – Save Noto, Live in London!
- Date: Saturday, June 29th 2024
- Time: 19:00
- Admission: £25
- Location: World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, 3 Ponton Road, Nine Elms,London SW11 7BD
Japan Power – Save Noto, Live in London! is a charity concert that aims to lend a helping hand to the communities affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake in Ishikawa earlier this year. Expect music and dancing from some of Japan’s most talented performers, as well as a chance to taste delicious Japanese sake and win fantastic prizes! ⭐️All surplus after deducting necessary expenses from the proceeds will be sent to Ishikawa Prefecture as a donation to support the disaster-stricken areas.
For more information and booking, please check the Japan Power – Save Noto, LIve in London! page.
Ongoing Japanese Events in June: Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN | Art Without Heroes: Mingei Exhibition | Sleep, Lick, Leak, Deep…. by Maya Erin Masuda
1) Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN
- Date: Wednesday, May 15th to Sunday, September 8th 2024
- Time: Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 20:00 | Sundays and Bank Holidays 12:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Free | Booking Recommended
- Location: The Gallery, Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA
With displays ranging from Jōmon pottery to sportswear, from musical instruments to festivals, Design Discoveries presents the story of each chosen design and its origin. It asks you to make connections between different design worlds and discover design in the least expected places. This interactive exhibition also invites you as a visitor to contribute your own treasures to a world design map and to share your own ideas about design.
For more information, please visit the Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN page.
2) Art Without Heroes: Mingei Exhibition
- Date: Saturday, March 23rd – Sunday, September 22nd 2024
- Time: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 17:00
- Admission: Free (suggested donation of £5)
- Location: William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4PP
Art Without Heroes: Mingei is the most wide-ranging exhibition in the UK dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement that developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. With works including ceramics, woodwork, paper, toys, textiles, photography and film, the exhibition will incorporate unseen pieces from significant private collections in the UK and Japan, along with museum loans and historic footage from the Mingei Film Archive.
For more information, please check out the Art Without Heroes: Mingei Exhibition page.
3) Sleep, Lick, Leak, Deep…. by Maya Erin Masuda
- Date: Friday, May 31st to Friday, July 19th 2024
- Time: Monday to Friday 9:30 – 17:00
- Admission: Free
- Location: Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, 13 / 14 Cornwall Terrace (Outer Circle), London NW1 4QP
Born in Tokyo and based in London and Berlin, Masuda has often likened skin, the highly personal, physical and emotional boundary which living beings possess, to the national, necropolitical borders artificially constructed by human societies. In this exhibition, Masuda provides a poetic, ontological breath which fosters a sense of interspecies belonging and points to the non-autonomous essence of all living agents.
For more information, please check the Sleep, Lick, Leak, Deep…. by Maya Erin Masuda page.
Outside of London Japanese Events: Japan FEST (Mansfield) | June Summer Special (Salcey) | Sushi Making Workshop (High Wycombe) | Learn Suminagashi (Hay on Wye)
1) Japan FEST Mansfield Rugby Club
- Date: Sunday, June 2nd 2024
- Time: 11:30 – 17:00
- Admission: Single Ticket £8.67 | Family Ticket £30.35 | Under 5 Free
- Location: Mansfield Rugby Club, Eakring Rd, Mansfield NG18 3EW
An event to celebrate Japanese Culture for the 2nd time in Mansfield. This event is being meticulously crafted by passionate and motivated individuals to bring just a small taste of Japan to Mansfield. Activities for this cultural event include Japanese arts and crafts, authentic handmade food, Japanese inspired drinks, performances, Activity areas, and anime plus much more.
For more information and booking, please check out the Japan FEST Mansfield 2024 page.
2) June Summer Special: Unwind in the Woods at Salcey
- Date: Friday, June 7th 2024
- Time: Afternoon Session 14:00 – 17:00 | Evening Session 18:30 – 20:30
- Cost: Afternoon Session £33.22 | Evening Session £25.08
- Location: Salcey Forest, Wootton Road Northampton NN7 2HX
Unwind with forest bathing in the beautiful woods at Salcey, home to ancient oaks and once part of a medieval royal hunting forest. With its origins in the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing involves immersing ourselves in the woods. Tuning in to our senses lets us relax and reconnect with nature, while research is beginning to reveal how time spent under the canopy of trees gives us a mental and physical boost.
For more information and booking, please check the June Summer Special page.
3) Sushi Making Workshop
- Date: Saturday, June 15th 2024
- Time: 13:00 – 14:30
- Price: £40 (includes all ingredients, a drink + 17 pieces of sushi for you to takeaway and enjoy).
- Location: The Front Room, High Wycombe, 9 Castle St, High Wycombe HP13 6RZ
This 90-minute hands-on Sushi Making Class will teach you how to make 4 different kinds of authentic sushi (Smoked Salmon Temarizushi, Sweetcorn Gunkanzushi, Cucumber and Yukari Hosomaki, Tuna Surirachamayo Futomaki) in a relaxed and fun environment.
For more information and booking, please visit the Sushi Making Workshop in High Wycombe page.
4) Learn Suminagashi (Japanese paper marbling)
- Date: Sunday, June 23rd 2024
- Time: 10:00 – 15:00
- Fee: £95
- Location: The Globe at Hay (held outside), Newport Street, Hay on Wye, Hereford HR3 5BG
The art of suminagashi (floating ink), the Japanese form of paper marbling, is both compelling and intriguing. The workshop starts at 10 a.m. with coffee and a look at the history of suminagashi and what you need to get started. There will be demonstrations and plenty of opportunities to unleash your creativity and to ask questions! No previous art training is needed. The cost is £95 to include all materials and tuition plus refreshments.
For more information and booking, please check the Learn Suminagashi page.
We hope you found our Japanese Events in June 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 be 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 June or July, please get in touch with us through our contact form.
