Japanese Language, Culture and the Art of Translation: part 1 - Arrietty

Overview

Join us for an engaging afternoon exploring the richness of Japanese language and culture through the lens of translation. This is the first in the Japanese Spring Series to delve into the art of translation through a case study of a Studio Ghibli film, Arrietty.

We explore how elements of the Japanese language and culture are conveyed in English, and consider what is retained, adapted, or lost along the way, and how meaning travels across cultures, and how nuance, context, and cultural detail are preserved—or transformed—in the process.

Date & Time: Saturday, 25 April 2026, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Optional film screening: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Programme

• A keynote lecture: “Arrietty and Thomas: Case Studies in Culture and Translation” (Professor Catherine Butler)
• A discussion session (Professor Butler & Mr Oliver Eccles (PhD candidate at UCL))
• A translation workshop (Led by the Japanese language team at King’s Language Centre)

Optional film screening

• A special film screening of Arrietty

Venue: Nash Lecture Theatre, King's Building, Strand Campus, King’s College London

Required language level: None

Designed for Japanese-language learners at all levels as well as anyone with an interest in languages and cross-cultural communication, the programme includes:

Keynote Speaker: Professor Catherine Butler (Cardiff University)

Professor Butler joined Cardiff University in 2015, having previously worked at the University of the West of England in Bristol. She specialises in children's literature but has published in various areas of English.

Professor Butler is the author of several monographs and the editor of five academic volumes, as well as having published six novels for children and young adults, including British Children's Literature in Japanese Culture (Bloomsbury, 2023).

We warmly invite students and all those interested in language, culture, and translation to take part in this stimulating event.

Special thanks: The Great Britain Sasawaka Foundation

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Nash Lecture Theatre, Strand Campus, King's College London, WC2R 2LS, Strand, London, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App