Hello! I hope you are staying safe in these crazy times and not flat-out panicking like I am. Due to the coronavirus, we have postponed our event with Chris Mosdell, but we are nevertheless determined to kick off a conversation and keep it rolling until we can all meet in person. To that end, we have a few things planned, but first up is the following list of questions. We invite you to respond in the comments and chat amongst yourselves. If you'd like to write a longer respo

“Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together.” – John Ruskin A key area of the RSA’s work is education and working towards “… an education of the head, hand and heart…”. But what does this mean in 2018? And, could the ideas of a man born 200 years ago give us some clues? As its contribution to the RSA’s Creative Learning & Development, RSA Japan Fellows’ Network ran: Ruskin Calling: Educating Hands, Heads & Hearts In The Age Of AI Approa

On 10th July 2018, the RSA Japan Fellows’ Network (RSA JFN) had the pleasure to welcome a distinguished guest, Alexandra Krawiec, at STOCK Takanawa in Minato-ku, Tokyo, for a lecture and debate about how to deal with uncertainty and stress in our modern age. 14 fellows and 24 guests attended the event, including university students who also had the opportunity to learn more about the RSA and the coming activities of RSA JFN. Alex is not only a scholar and the creator of sever

On February 27, 2018, 19 participants gathered to learn about the Japanese incense from Mr. Yohei Yamada, the 18th generation owner of Yamada-matsu Incense Store keeping business ever since the beginning of 18 century Edo period. Our aim was to understand how Yamada-matsu sustainably succeeded in nurturing the fragrance culture in Japan as well as laying a solid foundation in incense business for such a long time. http://www.yamadamatsu.co.jp The Japanese incense has a long h

This commission for ANA Intercontinental Tokyo was created exclusively for their renowned Chinese restaurant, Karin. The triptych features dragons, symbolic of power and prosperity, inspired by 2018's animal - the dog. Divya was blessed to have two very helpful and genki models to work with Doris & Lucy pictured below. With the dragon growing up within each season, the painting celebrates the widely praised, seasonal menu at Karin. The dragons on the right and left, with thei

Thank you all for taking part of the first installment of RSA x RISD Tokyo: Creative process. This first event between RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and RISD Tokyo (Rhode Island School of Design Tokyo alumni club) initiated with a casual presentation on the Industrial Design Process. From linear thinking processes to associative mind mapping, from ideation to prototyping, the adaptability of the process crosses disciplines an

Takefumi Kamio is an architect. But one who started as a mechanical engineer. And this is what has made all the difference. The roots of his knowledge are to be found in structures; structures that have sprouted a fascination with simplicity. So what does simplicity look like in architecture? Less corridors, simple spaces, removing alcoves? Perhaps the more important question we should ask is, "Is minimal space satisfying - physically and metaphysically?" "On a clear day

“Going Beyond Ideas” is an ongoing series of events in Japan organised by Japan RSA Connector Tania Coke with support from the Japan Fellows' Network. The second session, in May, focused on the process of moving from dream to reality, under the guidance of Rab and Hitomi Paterson. Around 30 people, including a number of RSA Fellows, gathered at the CTW space in central Tokyo. The event format is evolving as the series moves forward, and on this occasion a simultaneous present

What struck me most about the Brexit referendum was not the outcome, but our failure to have a decent conversation about it. The debate that led up to 23rd June 2016 was a painful experience for many – even here in Japan. Since then there’s been a noticeable lack of conversation on the topic. Many unresolved feelings still hover in the air. With this collective communication failure ringing in our ears, the RSA Japan Fellows’ Network decided to experiment. We designed an even

"Anyone can have a good idea. But how do you bring it alive, and keep it alive?" This was the question that participants were encouraged to consider at the first session of "Going Beyond Ideas", an event organised by Japan RSA Connector Tania Coke, with support from the RSA Japan Fellows' Network. "Going Beyond Ideas" is a forum for exploring new ways to think and act in response to the challenges of today’s world, with participants ranging from established pioneers and trail

Sana Okazaki FRSA makes sweets. But not just any sweets. She makes wagashi which are the Rolls Royce of Japanese sweets. On 30th October 2016 she ran a workshop to give us a chance to make (and eat) these special sweets. 20 people gathered that Sunday afternoon at Mannenzan Shourinji Temple – a 400 year old temple rebuilt with award-winning architecture and reopened only 20 days prior to this event – to make a particular kind of wagashi called higashi (a recipe that contains

Dear Friends of RSA JFN This is to let you know about my new show "Touch Me Not", showing at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki on 18th and 19th September. I would love to be able to share this work with you! Details below, and a trailer and a teaser attached. ~Tania A trailer: https://youtu.be/IYgqxQeXSJA And a teaser: https://youtu.be/qXWIxiwNhqY "Touch Me Not" - A Physical Drama Produced by Yokohama Theatre Group Directed by Tania Coke Starring Andrew Woolner and Na

On 12th July, RSA Japan Fellows’ Network hosted an afternoon session at the British Embassy in Tokyo, bringing together five homegrown Japanese social initiatives to discuss what inspired them to get started, how they gained traction and how they manage to keep going. Steve Martin FRSA, Director of Eat Creative, prompted the discussions with questions such as “What do you wish you had known when you were starting out?” “Why do you do what you do?” and “What is needed beyond p

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