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The five Mother Forest dancers in long black hooded coats lean against an old stone wall in a paved courtyard

Creativity

16 October 2026

The Rebellious Bodies of Butoh

Rebellious Bodies Festival brings Kazuo Ohno’s school of butoh to the UK. With it, it brings the philosophy of spontaneity he imbued in the dance form....

Creativity

In Conversation with Butoh Master, Mitsuyo Uesugi

Mitsuyo Uesugi is one of butoh's earliest female s...

Mitsuyo Uesugi is one of butoh's earliest female s...

Written by: Jonathan Firbank
15 October 2026
Creativity

Dai Fujikura on Reizei, the Album He Wrote for His Shamisen Teacher

Why would a composer write fingerings into a score...

Why would a composer write fingerings into a score...

Written by: Simon Martin
14 October 2026
Creativity

Mia Kobayashi on Your Lie in April and singing at RepresentAsian

Mia Kobayashi braced for polite silence when A...

Mia Kobayashi braced for polite silence when A...

Written by: Simon Martin
12 October 2026

Inside Japan’s Creative Culture: Ideas, Artists & Aesthetics

Japan’s creative culture is a seamless blend of tradition, innovation, and bold expression. From the elegance of minimalist architecture to the avant-garde worlds of graphic design, fashion, and craftsmanship, creativity in Japan is both a tribute to heritage and a vision of the future.

Our Creativity section dives into the artists, makers, and cultural pioneers shaping Japan’s visual identity today. Explore features on contemporary Japanese art, conceptual design, wabi-sabi aesthetics, and the cross-cultural movements redefining creativity in Tokyo, Kyoto, and beyond.

From emerging designers and printmakers to multidisciplinary studios, this is where the heart of Japanese innovation thrives—captured in thoughtful stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and design-led explorations.

Kanawanai: Centimillimental’s Opening Theme for Hello, I Am a Witch

In Japanese, kanawanai can mean a wish that will never come true or someone you can never beat. Cent...

By: Giulia Wilzewski
12 October 2026

My Neighbour Totoro London Cast: New Backstage Photos

Danny Kaan's photographs follow Victoria Chen and the Kazego puppeteers through the dressing rooms a...

By: Simon Martin
9 October 2026

Studio Ghibli’s beloved film, brought to life
on stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company The family’s move to the countryside,
recreated live on stage Soot sprites swarming live on stage,
just as you remember them from the film Joe Hisaishi's iconic score,
performed by a live band and singer Musicians play from treehouses
above the stage at every performance Winner of six Olivier Awards
and five WhatsOnStage Awards The beloved Totoro made real, with puppets
built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Totoro and the Catbus, live Satsuki and Mei, live in London The soot sprites are real Hisaishi's score, live nightly Musicians in the treehouses Award-winning, final months Six Olivier Awards Book your seats From screen to stage Choose your date Book tickets Book tickets Book tickets See Totoro live

More From Our Creativity Archive

Haruki Murakami and Jazz: Peter Cat, the Records and the Novels

By Simon Martin

5 October 2026

Japanese Jazz at EFG London Jazz Festival 2026

By Simon Martin

22 September 2026

Who Composed Sadness and Sorrow from Naruto?

By James Taylor

19 September 2026

Yasuharu Takanashi on Sadness and Sorrow, Girei and His First UK Show

By Simon Martin

19 September 2026

hololive’s VTuber Concerts: We Spoke to hololive and Virtual Stage Productions

By Simon Martin

18 September 2026

How the My Neighbour Totoro Stage Show Was Made

By Simon Martin

15 September 2026

Victoria Chen and Helen Chong on My Neighbour Totoro in London

By Simon Martin

11 September 2026

Seijaku by Dr Miki Fujito: Finding Stillness Without Another Life Overhaul

By Conor Hodges

9 September 2026

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Studio Ghibli’s beloved film, brought to life
on stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company The family’s move to the countryside,
recreated live on stage Soot sprites swarming live on stage,
just as you remember them from the film Joe Hisaishi's iconic score,
performed by a live band and singer Musicians play from treehouses
above the stage at every performance Winner of six Olivier Awards
and five WhatsOnStage Awards The beloved Totoro made real, with puppets
built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Totoro and the Catbus, live Satsuki and Mei, live in London The soot sprites are real Hisaishi's score, live nightly Musicians in the treehouses Award-winning, final months Six Olivier Awards Book your seats From screen to stage Choose your date Book tickets Book tickets Book tickets See Totoro live

Art & Design

Literature

Music

Photography

16 Oct to 22 Nov 2026

Three generations of butoh on one UK stage, for the first time

Mitsuyo Uesugi returns to The Place after 46 years

London · Bangor · Newcastle · Norway

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Yasuharu Takanashi on Sadness and Sorrow, Girei and His First UK Show

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Who Composed Sadness and Sorrow from Naruto?

Final show 3 Jan 2027 Book tickets

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