Explore the cultures of Japan this festive season with a series of free family-friendly activity workshops at Japan House London.

In this special edition celebrating the arrival of 2026, the Year of the Horse, participants can learn how to fold an origami horse, decorate a nengajō (New Year greetings card) to send to friends and loved ones, and make their own paper ema (lit. ‘picture horse’) to invite good luck.

Create your own New Year card (nengajō)

In Japan it is customary to send nengajō to relatives, friends and colleagues. Decorated with special greetings and seasonal illustrations, nengajō are usually delivered on New Year’s Day. Colour in and cut out a selection of pictures associated with the New Year season to decorate your own original nengajō.

Tuesday 23 December 2025, 14:30–16:30

Wednesday 24 December 2025, 14:30–16:30

Tuesday 30 December 2025, 14:30–16:30

Origami – horses and frogs

Try your hand at origami, Japanese paper folding. Make an origami horse with our new activity sheet celebrating the Year of the Horse, or fold an origami frog and see how far it jumps.

Monday 22 December 2025, 14:30–16:30

Friday 2 January 2026, 14:30–16:30

Make your own paper ema  (‘picture horse’)

Ema (lit. ‘picture horses’) are small wooden tablets found at shrines throughout Japan. Typically, shrinegoers write prayers or wishes on them and hang them at the shrine as offerings. In the Hida Takayama region of Gifu Prefecture, ema are made from paper and decorated with a picture of a horse.

Make your own paper ema using a template created by Ikemoto-ya, a famed ema-maker based in Takayama City. Decorate the horse with lucky patterns, add wishes for good fortune and good health and display the completed ema at the entrance of your home to invite in good luck. Remember to hang the ema with the horse’s head facing inwards, so as to carry good fortune inside.

Monday 29 December 2025, 14:30–16:30