The special summer-themed Japanese events taking place over the next few weeks makes for an exciting Japanese Events calendar in July. First, there’s the Yokimono Japanese Market to experience Japanese live music & performances as well as Japanese food, art, craft, and more. Their event is really popular, so make sure you go early before food stalls get busy as there are often long queues in place by 1 pm.
For another unique experience, check out the London Film & Comic Con. This event is the UK’s largest Comic Con and it offers a fantastic opportunity to meet some of your favourite celebrities from TV and Film. To further explore the culture of Japan, the HYPER JAPAN 2023 Festival is an exciting 3-day event bringing the ‘now’ of Japan to the UK. Want to find out what last year’s festival was like? Check out our HYPER JAPAN 2022 review.
Meanwhile, if you’re wanting to take time out for peaceful and tranquil moments, consider attending one of the numerous Forest Bathing sessions happening in London and throughout the UK.
Apart from those mentioned above, there are other art and culture related events in our Japanese Events July calendar, such as the Calligraphy Workshop – Summer Greetings by the Japan Society to learn about Shochu Mimai (summer greeting cards) as well as practicing Shodo calligraphy writing.
July 1st & 2nd: Yokimono Japanese Market
- Date: Saturday, July 1st & Sunday, July 2nd 2023
- Time: 11:00 – 18:00
- 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 Japanese-themed market and cultural event in East London. Traders will be offering; delicious Japanese food, sweets and tea, vintage kimono, ceramics and other handcrafts, illustrations, stationary, clothing, jewellery and much much more – made in Japan or produced by Japanese artists in London. As well as a wide variety of market stalls, there will be live performances from Japanese musicians , demonstrations of Furoshiki eco-wrapping and Kimono dressing, and Shodo Calligraphy workshops.
For more info, please check the Yokimono Japanese Market Summer 2023 page.
July 4th: Japanese Conversation Group
- Date: Tuesday, July 4th 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.
July 6th & 8th: Happy Origami Workshop
- Date & Time: Thursday, July 6th 19:00 – 20:30 | Saturday, July 8th 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 the Happy Origami Workshop page.
July 7th, 8th & 9th: London Film & Comic Con 2023
Date, Time, Ticket & Location:
- Friday, July 7th 2023: 10:00 – 19:00 | £ 23 | Olympia
- Saturday, July 8th 2023: 9:00 – 19:00 | £29 | Olympia
- Sunday, July 9th 2023: 9:00 – 18:00 | £29 | Olympia
- Location: Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London W14 8UX
The UK’s biggest Comic Con returns to the Olympia London bringing you your favourite celebrities from TV & Film.
For more info and booking, please check out the London Film & Comic Con 2023 page.
July 11th & 15th : Forest Bathing on Wimbledon Common – Connecting with Nature
- Date: Tuesday July 11th & Saturday July 15th 2023
- Time: 10:30 – 12:30
- Cost: £35
- Location: The Windmill Tea Rooms, Windmill Road, Wimbledon Common, London, SW19 5NQ
Forest Bathing was developed in Japan in the 1980s to help people decrease stress levels following scientific studies by the Government. It is called ‘shinrin-yoku’ in Japanese, which means “taking in the forest atmosphere” or literally ‘forest bathing under the trees’. Finland, South Korea and now the UK are fully embracing Forest Bathing to complement the medical health services. Most sessions last for around two hours and are accessible for most people.
For booking & more info, please visit these pages. Forest Bathing on the 11th | Forest Bathing on the 15th
July 14th: Shodo The Art of Japanese Calligraphy
- Date: Friday, July 14th 2023
- Time: 13:30 – 16:30
- 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. Original templates and exercise templates are prepared. Tips, advice and detailed insights from a practicing calligrapher. Lots of inspiration and techniques to experience the mindfulness process.
For booking and more info, please check the Shodo The Art of Japanese Calligraphy page.
July 21st – 23rd: HYPER JAPAN 2023 Festival
Date, Time, General Admission & Location:
- Friday, July 21st 2023: 12:00 – 20:30 → £17.50+VAT@20% | OLYMPIA
- Saturday, July 22nd 2023: 9:00-20:30 → £25.00+VAT@20% | OLYMPIA
- Sunday, July 23rd 2023: 9:00-17:00 → £20.00+VAT@20% | OLYMPIA
- 3 Day Pass: £55.00+VAT@20%
- Location: OLYMPIA London, Hammersmith Rd, London W14 8UX
HYPER JAPAN has been held since 2010 in London, an influential trendsetting city, with the aim of communicating the appeal of Japan’s outstanding culture, including technology, fashion, art, traditional products, traditional culture and martial arts, to a wide range of generations. As the UK’s largest Japanese cultural event, HYPER JAPAN brings the ‘now’ of Japan to the UK and beyond.
For booking and more info, please check out the HYPER JAPAN 2023 Festival page. We’ve also set up a new page for Hyper Japan 2023 with a combination of this year’s event info and a recap of what to expect from the performances and shows.
July 22nd: Calligraphy Workshop – Summer Greetings
- Date: Saturday, July 22nd 2023
- Time: 11:00 – 12:15 | 13:00 – 14:15 | 15:00 – 16:15
- Fee: £15 (Members and their family and friends) | £20 (Non-member)
- Location: The Japan Society, 13 / 14 Cornwall Terrace (Outer Circle), London NW1 4QP
This is a wonderful opportunity to start your journey into calligraphy guided by an experienced professional. You will discover different styles of Japanese writing, understand how to use a brush correctly and learn how to combine kanji and hiragana in an aesthetically pleasing way. No experience is necessary for this workshop.
For booking and more info, please visit the Calligraphy Workshop – Summer Greetings page.
Ongoing Japanese Events in July: Wave – Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts (Exhibition)
- Date: Thursday July 6th to Sunday October 22nd 2023
- Time: Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 20:00 | Sundays and Bank Holidays 12:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Free, but Booking Recommended
- Location: Gallery, Japan House, London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA
Explore the vibrant diversity of Japanese graphic arts in this bold exhibition which bridges the worlds of fine art, commercial illustration and counterculture. The work of a selection of 60 Japanese artists is presented, with late 20th-century innovators Tanaami Keiichi and Yumura Teruhiko featured alongside a number of emerging artists being exhibited for the first time in the UK.
For more information, please visit the Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts: WAVE page.
Outside of London Events: Forest Bathing+experience (Alice Holt Forest, Box Hill, Wendover Woods, Leith Hill) | Nihongo Yoga (Edinburgh)
1) July 1st, 8th, 11th &16th: Forest Bathing+experience
Date, Time, Cost & Location:
- Saturday July 1st 2023: 10:00 – 12:00 | £32.80 | Alice Holt Forest, Dockenfield Street, Binstead GU10 4LS
- Saturday July 8th 2023: 9:00 – 11:30 | £39.22 | Box Hill Zig Zag Road, Box Hill Road, Tadworth KT20 7LB
- Tuesday July 11th 2023: 9:30 – 12:00 | £38.93 | Wendover Woods, Upper Icknield Way, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury HP22 5NQ
- Sunday July 16th 2023: 10:00 – 12:30 | £39.22 | Leith Hill Rhododendron Wood Car Park, Dorking RH5 6LU
This 2-3 hour immersion is a gentle introduction to Forest Bathing+ and its benefits. Forest Bathing is best described as a slow, relaxing sensory journey designed to calm the body and mind. The physical and mental health benefits of Forest Bathing have been scientifically proven. Benefits include reduced stress levels, stronger immune system response, and a stabilised cortisol cycle.
For booking and more info, please check The Forest Bathing + experience page.
2) July 2nd: Nihongo Yoga (with Japanese and English) & Social Meeting (Edinburgh)
- Date: Sunday, July 2nd 2023
- Time: 11:00 – 12:30 (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.
Your reviews of Japanese Events July 2023
We hope you found our Japanese Events for July round up helpful, and you’re able to check out some of these fantastic events!
We’ll be updating this Japanese Events July 2023 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 July or August, please get in touch with us through our contact form.
