Creativity

Named after supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, YokaiSwap is a multifunctional platform built on the Nervos Network, an open-source public blockchain ecosystem. On paper, it’s a highly innovative project that...

If you watch anime or you are interested in Japanese pop culture, it is likely that you know of the word “kawaii”. This Japanese word is frequently used by Japanese...

🌊🌊🌊 Looks familiar? Let me ask you: what does this emoji and Van Gogh’s Starry Night have in common? Other than the interesting shades of blue and the unique swirls...

We had the pleasure of speaking with visual artist Akiko. We sat down with her to learn more about her creative process, as well as what inspires and drives her....

In Japan, artistry in nature is not just appreciated in its magnificent mountains and majestic trees, but even more so in the smaller plants that reveal the country’s finest cultures...

SushiSwap is an open-source Automated Market Maker that was forked from Uniswap and built on the Ethereum blockchain. It’s a decentralised exchange that allows users to swap one cryptocurrency for...

Everyone has heard of Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda. Even non-gamers are familiar with Mario and Pokemon. All of these well-known games are such cultural institutions that if...

“The Matrix” is a visually stunning cyber adventure packed with explosive energy. It portrays a dystopian future in which humanity is inadvertently imprisoned within the Matrix, a virtual world designed...

When we hear of “Ivy League”, there is that iconic image that runs through our heads --- a young man dressed in an Oxford shirt or a sweater vest with...

Lofi beats — the music genre associated with chill and relaxing sounds that make you want to sit down and work on your tasks as its downtempo and chillhop beats...

It was 2017 when a curious YouTube recommendation plopped into everyone's Home pages. A video starring a black-and-white photo of a girl smiling with her hair whooshing behind her entitled...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We know that our holidays wouldn’t be complete without tuning into our favorite festive tunes. With Christmas just right around the corner,...

Japan has a storied film history. Not only has it been around for over 100 years, but it has been a huge influence on filmmaking as a whole. Japanese cinema...

After the success of Perfect Blue, the question on everyone's mind was “why doesn’t Satoshi Kon make a live action film?”. A question that was thrown at him tirelessly, and...

Japan’s influence is no stranger to the metaverse, where it has ingrained itself in the dizzying world of NFTs. And now, the next generation of gaming has elevated NFTs and...

2021 saw the release of some of the most highly anticipated anime of the last decade. Both Japanese and global anime rankings courted a diversity of anime genres, from action...

There's no better way to get into the true spirit of the festive season than by joining us at Yokimono's Japanese Xmas Market! Hosted by Furuki Yo-Kimono at The FACTORY...

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has made its name known in the cryptocurrency market. With its enlarging community and fundamentals as a project, SHIB has climbed in the top 10 of market...

An avant-garde modern architectural movement formed in post-war Japan, Japanese Metabolism combined concepts of architectural megastructures and organic growth as an ambitious idea of utopian urbanism. A conceived Japanese restoration...

Vibrant, powdery, and charmingly flawed what’s not to love about Riso prints?  Risograph printing is a Japanese creative printmaking technique that gives the maker the opportunity to create colourful, interesting,...

What’s the occasion, you might ask? It might be a surprise when you find out how prevalent gift-giving in Japan is. No, it need not be the holiday season or...

When we think back on the Japanese fashion subcultures of the 1990s, we are transported back to 1997, when youth culture flourished through the adoption of Harajuku Fashion and street...

Elegantly subtle and terrifyingly direct, these are words I would use to describe Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story. It's a film that hits you hard when you least expect it and...

Surely, you’ve heard of lo-fi hip-hop since it seems to be everywhere nowadays — in cafés, on Spotify, radio streams, and YouTube. No wonder it’s so popular; its chill beats,...

NFTs are some of the biggest trends to grace the metaverse this year. While they’ve been around for years, the frenzy over online collectables took off when an artist, Beeple,...

What do the famously hard-working Japanese salarymen do after a long day of work? Sing karaoke, of course! While some go to the izakaya (bar) and have a drink, nothing...

The appreciation of local art and culture has found an enormous platform in the digital world. Through the power of technology, Japanese art is able to create an impact on...

Cryptocurrency has been all the rave for the past year. Even the far corners of the world aren’t immune to its influence, sparking conversations over Bitcoin, Ethereum, Blockchain, and NFTs....

We're thrilled to announce BFI: Japan 2021, the UK's largest Japanese film festival. Film screenings were postponed last Autumn 2020 due to COVID, so we're overjoyed to watch some of the best...

Lo-fi beats have been getting more love these days. Whether you're listening to them on a sunny, rainy, or cloudy day, you're guaranteed to stay chill, productive, and focused alongside...

Few things are constant in this world: change, scientific laws, and people wanting to wear clothing with their favorite characters on it! It’s the easiest way to show your love...

The term 'Less is More' truly resonates with many people worldwide, wishing to cut unnecessary clutter from their lives, only to use what's needed to live a more spiritual existence. In...

Dope Gallery launched in 2013 and has since discovered and promoted a selection of fresh young artists dominating the online and urban markets today. The gallery's commitment to global arts...

David Watts Barton, award-winning writer, editor, musician, and author of the recently published book Japan from Anime to Zen, joined us for a chat. David's book provides all those intrigued...

Mr O’s Book of the Dead it's the last movie in the experimental Butoh dance film trilogy that happened when celebrated dancer Kazuo Ohno and director Chiaki Nagano joined forces....

Revisiting older forms of media can often be a challenge. What was once new and pretty can feel outdated and cliche today. Watching old special effects in movies or playing...

Some people may be quick to point out the release date of this movie, its genre, and its premise and just write The Boxer off as a Japanese version of...

In partnership with the Japan Foundation, we’re super excited to announce the Japanese Avant-Garde and Experimental Film Festival of 2021: Bodies. Bodies explores how we interact with other beings, spaces...

The NFT boom, according to sceptics, was nothing more than a hype-driven “lockdown-era” bubble that had burst. But many experts believe the landscape is evolving and that the crash was...

Historical fiction has always had a tricky role to play. First and foremost, it must be a historically accurate portrayal of the time period; otherwise, you risk offending those who...

Satoshi Kon is regarded as one of the most groundbreaking and influential directors who ever set foot in the industry of animation and, to a larger extent, cinema. He only...

Japan’s a pretty big deal in streetwear as some of the most iconic designers and brands are coming straight out of Harajuku. Sneaker culture is undoubtedly a massive part of...

Sneakers Unboxed: From Studio to Street is now open at the Design Museum in London, a brand new exhibition looking into the history and influence of major sneaker brands such...

Taking inspiration from Japan’s many Shōtengai (local market streets) and their capacity for serving as community centres and gathering spaces, Coal Drops Yard will be hosting a Shōtengai Japanese Market...

Latest from Japan right now A Unique Experience with Jay Japan Three editions cater to Jay Japan’s unique products New Editions! A Unique Day with Jay Japan A Worldwide Brand...

When you sprinkle a pinch of Japanese flair over movie posters it makes magic! The 20th century was the golden age of film, and when the international blockbusters entered the...

We can all agree that Hayao Miyazaki's films are magnificent works of cinematic art. However, Studio Ghibli's beautiful aesthetics are truly complemented by the rhapsodic music that accompanies them, helping...

Charlotte Perriand: The Modern Life is open now at the Design Museum, an exhibition covering the life and work of the 20th-century designer. The French designer came to be one...

We chat with Max, the creator of Japan Poster Shop, a company that collects and sells vintage Japanese movie posters. Max has spent almost his entire life collecting these one-of-a-kind...

Sneakers Unboxed: From Studio to Street is now open at the Design Museum in London, a brand new exhibition exploring one of the most universal and influential fashion items of...

Where it all began Kimonos today Mikan: Keeping traditions alive Mikan bags Japanese Kimono Still Valued The word Kimono is a relatively new term, only being adopted in the 19th...

What Are NFT's Anime Coin: The World’s First Completely Decentralized Digital Art Platform AnimeCoin: For anime content creators Anime Coin: For Anime Fans With NFT’s (or non-fungible tokens) being the...

Ever wonder how or where that trendy high street coat you've been showing off is made? Unfortunately, the evolution of the garment industry over the past 100 years often goes...

Japanese music has, whether you’re aware of it or not, had a huge influence on culture and music worldwide.  From the underground scene that emerged post-war in the 20th century,...

Rie Takeda and Japanese Calligraphy Rie Takeda's Mindfulness Method Japanese Calligraphy in UK and the rest of Europe Why is Calligraphy important to Japan? The School of Shodō – The...

What happens when things break? Most of us throw that thing away, but is it time to consider a different approach? One that instead fosters adaptation and embracing flaws.  Western...

What is Cyberpunk? Japan’s Cyberpunk Culture The Birth of Japanese Cyberpunk: Akira ‘Modern Japan simply was Cyberpunk’ Japanese stand-outs in Cyberpunk 2077 Why we shouldn’t ignore cyberpunk Cyberpunk 2077 was...

Japan is a design powerhouse, we’ll all been left in awe at the artful conceptions brought to life by Japan’s architects. From minimalist sleek surfaces to naturalistic representations of our...

If you aren’t greeted by a wagging tail and a booming bark when you enter the door, you are living in a house, not a home. The Architecture for Dogs...

Japanese Books and Me The Issue with Japanese Books in English Osusume Books What’s coming in the future Japanese Books and Me For as long as I can remember, I’ve...

Ever had such an incredible trip that you would relive it most days if you could? Imagine if you could step back to that place in your imagination - to...

Mainland Japan is surrounded by many other islands that make up the beautiful country. 'Many' to be more precise, is around 6,000! Yes, that's a huge number of places to...

Next level sound system music is flowing through Vomitspit, the Japanese record label run by the dubstep demons, Dayzero and Karnage. Individually, the duo’s tectonic tunes have been released worldwide...

What do you see when you look at a circle? For most, it's just that - a circular line creating earth, sun or ball shape. But for the world-renowned, Japanese...

Japan doesn’t immediately spring to mind as a literary hub. Its popular culture is usually hidden under the canopy of anime, Harajuku style, and kawaii souvenirs; but there are a...

teamLab Tokyo – Borderless teamLab Singapore – Story of the Forest teamLab London – What a Loving, and Beautiful World Since 2001, teamLab has enchanted us. Their method of wooing...

Whether you like to unwind in front of a Studio Ghibli film, lose yourself in the fantastical worlds of Haruki Murakami’s novels, or gobble up succulent sushi until your bank...

2400 years ago, during the 4th Century BC, Alexander the Great’s conquest across Asia diversified Greek culture, throwing off the Classical cloak and wrapping themselves in the Hellenistic toga, which...

Following the Japan Nakama app, I finally arrived at Kensington Olympia, where London’s largest Japanese Convention, Hyper Japan, was in full swing. After a brief encounter with the Sake Challenge,...

Hyper Japan is back to break through the winter chills with steaming ramen, live music, and soul-warming Japanese tea. In the build-up to London's largest Japanese convention, I've picked out...

Next up in our Why I Love Japan series, which seeks to draw attention to some of our favourite artists, photographers, and creatives; all of who have a distinct interest...

For Yayoi Kusama’s cult of fans, the arrival of her latest installation artwork ‘My heart is dancing into the universe,’ to the intimate Victoria Miro Gallery, London, was hotly anticipated....

Founder of Pom Pom Factory, paper florist and artist Karen, is a great example of how a seemingly simple idea can create something extremely beautiful. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese...

As we continue to delve into London's Japanese art scene, sharing some of our favourite works – and in this case, some of our favourite curations – our attention turns...

We're excited to share with you Matt Nguyen whose brand Jolly Awesome (run alongside wife Katie) features cute prints, pins, and ceramics. We're most in love with Jolly Awesome's collaboration with...

We're so pleased to feature Asa + Yu in our Love Japan series, a collaborative group based in Tokyo and London which delivers projects related to architecture and art installation...

Next, in our 'Why I love Japan' series, which aims to share the work of some of the Nakama team's favourites artists, photographers, and craftspeople, we're pleased to announce illustrator...

With a keen interest in the Japanese art scene both in London and further afield, Japan Nakama is excited to announce the launch of our 'Why I love Japan' series....

Renowned architect Sou Fujimoto’s ‘Futures of the Future' makes for a stunning first exhibition at Japan House; a contemporary addition to High Street Kensington dedicated to showcasing the best of modern...

Double Method, by photographers Tokyo Rumando and Hideka Tonomura, their exhibition takes a truly intimate look at the concept of reality through the eyes of the photographers; both of whom...

Beyond the cracked marble hotel lobby fountains and abandoned shopping malls lies a world that both owes vaporwave its respect whilst also being indispensable in carving it. Certain TV shows...

Takefumi Hori’s latest collection, ‘Enjuku,’ is a welcome addition to the emerging gallery, Fiumano Clase. An understated, warehouse-turned-gallery directed by Andrés Clase and Francesca Fiumano, the space is intended to...

Five minutes down the road from Old Street underground station, through the hustle and bustle of central London, I gazed through black and white windows to another world. Gerard Touren...

An early evening atmosphere had already arrived at Sway Gallery before I had. Warmly greeted by gallery staff, I had caught my first glimpse of the heartfelt displays of Jiji...

After a successful first collection, where his depiction of the humble squirrel gained interest and positive reception, London-based illustrator, So Fujii, turned his focus exclusively to animals for his latest...

The SOAS Japan Society kindly invited me along to one of their (many) events last Saturday, a Japanese calligraphy workshop with esteemed calligrapher, Taki Kodaira. In the Oriental and African...

Damien Borowik is a visual artist who investigates the art of making as aesthetics. Using either analog or digital processes, the artist develops his own creative tools and explores their...

The Japan Nakama team went down to Granary Square in Kings Cross this week to check out the acclaimed House of Illustration exhibition Anime Architecture: Backgrounds of Japan. Remember the Ghost...