Creativity

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 What was once new and pretty can feel outdated and cliche today.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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The word Kimono is a relatively new term, only being adopted in the 19th Century. Still, the garments and textiles have existed for centuries, and globally the term refers to...

With NFT’s (or non-fungible tokens) being the talk of the art and blockchain community, it is no surprise that new platforms for these art pieces are...

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,...

Japanese Calligraphy (書道), or Shodō (way of writing), is a writing art form that dates back to the 6th century. A craft requiring skill and patience, artists use a brush...

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...

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...

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 As long as I can remember, I’ve always been a bookworm (hon no mushi). Reading with my...

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...

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...

Next level soundsystem 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 on...

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

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 is a...

Since 2001, teamLab has enchanted us. Their method of wooing has been far from conventional. Instead of flowers and chocolates, we have been drawn in through impressive innovative digital art...

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...

Following the Japan Nakama app, I finally arrived at Kensington Olympia, where London’s largest Japanese Convention, Hyper Japan,...

Hyper Japan is back to break through the winter chills with steaming ramen, live music and soul-warming Japanese tea....

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

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...

Founder of Pom Pom Factory, paper florist and artist Karen, is a great example of how a seemingly...

As we continue to delve into the London's Japanese art scene, sharing some of our favourite works – and...

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...

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

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...

With a keen interest in the Japanese art scene both in London and further afield, Japan Nakama are excited to announce the launch of...

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...

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

Beyond the cracked marble hotel lobby fountains and abandoned shopping malls lies a world that both owes vaporwave its...

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

Five minutes down the road from Old Street underground station, through the hustle and bustle of central London, I...

An early evening atmosphere had already arrived at Sway Gallery before I had. Warmly greeted by gallery staff, I...

After a successful first collection, where his depiction of the humble squirrel gained interest and a positive reception, London based illustrator, So Fujii, turned...

The SOAS Japan Society kindly invited me along to one of their (many) events last Saturday, a Japanese calligraphy...

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...