Lecture Dates – Archive 2018

2018: 150th Anniversary of the Meiji Restoration ‘When East and West Collided’ Past Lectures: Tuesday November 6th 1.00 – 4.10 pm ANAシンポジウム: 世界から見た明治維新 ANA Symposium: The Meiji Restoration as seen by the World Public lecture and seminar in Kagoshima, Japan 2.30 pm 東と西がぶつかったとき: 明治維新 に 向かって の できごと WHEN EAST AND WEST COLLIDED: STEPPING STONES … Read more

The Failure of the Future

In the 80s Japan WAS the future!

Happy to be included in Johny Pitts’ series The Failure of the Future on BBC Radio 4 – including my memories of the Tsutsumi Seibu empire, which I wrote about in my book The Brothers. […]

Lesley Downer at Brooklyn Book Fair 2023

The Shortest History of Japan: coming SOON!

Out June 2024 in Australia and July 31st 2024 in the US and Canada.

The story of a small Asian country with an extraordinary aesthetic tradition that avoided colonization and overcame the devastation of World War II to become a highly prosperous modern force, while preserving its unique spirit and culture.

Issey Miyake, a great loss

For me, for the fashion industry, for everyone, this is huge news and a great loss of a warm and wonderfulman who created glorious fabrics and clothes. In the 90s I went to the 21st anniversary celebrations of theIssey Miyake brand where Larry Adler (remember him?) unforgettably played Rhapsody in Blue accompanied by Gershwin himself … Read more

Lesley Downer featured in JETAA UK Newsletter

I went to Japan in 1978 as a member of the very first group of English teachers on the Wolfers Scheme which later became known as the Japan English Teachers’ Programme – JET. So very proud to be featured in the newsletter for the Alumni Association. Read full article: JET Spotlight: Lesley Downer See also … Read more