About this Event
Forum Crossing Borders: Japanese Popular Music, Culture and Identity
Join us in person for an engaging forum of talks and a mini concert exploring Japanese culture through music and dance. From local traditions to global influence, discover how popular culture has shaped identities, inspired creativity, and reflected social change across generations and borders.
Featuring leading experts from Japan and the UK, alongside lively discussion and live performance, this event offers fresh perspectives on Japan's cultural landscape and its impact around the world. Whether you have a long-standing interest in Japan or are simply curious to learn more, all are welcome.
This event is generously supported by the Japan Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Agenda
🕑: 02:00 PM
Opening, Linton Kwesi Johnson Lecture Theatre, Professor Stuart Hall Building
Info: Welcome and Opening remarks by Dr Lauren Redhead, Head of School of Music, English and Theatre, Goldsmiths.
Session 1: Constructing Japan Through Music and Performance
Info: Chair: Professor Barley Norton
Dr Raymond Sookram (Goldsmiths) and Elizabeth J. Parkes (University of Bristol/ Daiwa-Anglo-Japanese Foundation Scholar), ‘On the Precipice of Musical Adaption: Tracking Variations on Bleach’s Themes Over 20 Years’
Dr Naomi Matsumoto (Goldsmiths), ‘Hidden Eros, Forgotten Histories: the Making of Japan's Musical Identity’
Dr Moeko Hayashi, (independent scholar), ‘From Ukiyoe to Opera: Nicola LeFanu’s Tokaido Road’
🕑: 04:30 PM
Session 2: Bon Odori in Motion: Fusing Folk Tradition and Contemporary Culture
Info: Chair: Emeritus Professor Keith Negus
Prof Masahiro Yasuda (Kyoto Seika University), ‘Resonating Folk Dance: Mobility, Communality and Spirituality’
Prof Yusuke Wajima (University of Osaka), ‘Bon Odori as Nexus: Folk Meets Popular through Song and Dance’
🕑: 06:00 PM
Mini concert and Bon Odori Workshop, Room 167, Richard Hoggart Building
Info: Concert: Talented Goldsmiths students Emme Sum (vocals) and her band, and Luke Wynn-Ruffhead (piano) present a captivating programme of music inspired by Japan.
Workshop: Following the concert, everyone is warmly invited to take part in a Bon Odori dance workshop and experience this vibrant Japanese festival tradition first hand.
Event venue & nearby stays
Goldsmiths, University of London, Lewisham Way, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.