Located in Norwich, the easternmost city in England, the University of East Anglia is the British university nearest to Japan. It is now home to the newest Centre for Japanese Studies in the UK, established in May this year. On 22 November at the Embassy in London, Ambassador Hayashi hosted an evening of talks by members of the new Centre and the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, which has worked closely with UEA since the Institute was created by Sir Robert and Lisa Sainsbury in 1999.

Professor Edward Acton, Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia and Chairman of the Management Board of the Sainsbury Institute, spoke of Japan¡Çs huge importance and of how the next generations of global citizens who pass through UEA should have the best possible opportunity to understand something of Japan and its place in the world. The new Centre, which will lead and coordinate teaching and research initiatives on Japan across the University, will foster a distinctive, interdisciplinary approach to studying Japan in its global context, and will provide the basis for a new understanding of contemporary Japan, the factors that shaped it and how it will affect all our futures.

The Director of the new Centre, Dr Simon Kaner (who also continues at the Sainsbury Institute as Head of the Centre for Archaeology and Heritage), introduced three of his academic colleagues. Dr Nicole Rousmaniere, Founding Director and now Research Director of the Sainsbury Institute, spoke about her ongoing research into the rich collection of Japanese ceramics at the British Museum. Dr Nana Sato-Rossberg, Yakult Lecturer in Japanese Language based in the School of Language and Communication Studies at UEA, and a specialist in the translation of Ainu oral narratives, spoke about the emerging field of Translation Studies. UEA is also home to the British Centre for Literary Translation, which hosts an annual International Summer School with a substantial Japanese component, supported by the Nippon Foundation. Dr Ulrich Heinze, Sasakawa Lecturer in Contemporary Japanese Visual Media, entertained the audience with an account of why manga are so popular, with examples ranging from Doraemon to Tezuka Osamu's Firebird.

UEA is now offering degree-level courses in Japanese language at both BA and Masters level. Japanese can be taken in conjunction with other modern languages or other subject areas, notably Business Studies, Film and Television Studies, and Media Studies.