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Invited by the Japanese government, keen to hire foreign specialists (oyatoi gakokujin), Conder taught at the Imperial College of Engineering in Tokyo from 1877; and he was charged with transforming the Marunouchi area into a London-style business district. After 1888 he operated a private practice, and remained in Japan for the rest of his life. He was a teacher of four famous Japanese architects: Tatsuno Kingo, Katayama Tokuma, Sone Tatsuzo and Satachi Shichijiro, who were among the first Japanese architects to build western-style buildings in Japan in the Meiji era. For more on the Meiji era please view our history pages.
Photo Credit: creative commons 2006
Japanese events in London: 26th October - 1st November 2009
As London's fastest growing Japanese language and cultural school and we note that this week, one of our previous guest speakers is lecturing at the University of Wales. Miss Pauline Chakmakjian, (trustee Japan Society) is extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto and a pleasure to listen to. Her talk is titled: "All about Kyoto" and will be held on Tuesday, 27 October 2009 at the Roderic Bowen Library for 5pm. If you are free and in the area - do attend and you will be in for a treat.
Wednesday, 28th October 2009, 6.45pm, there is a lecture at the Oriental Club titled, "A Line in Birds: Thomas W Blakiston’s contribution to Ornithology and Biogeography in Early-Meiji Japan." The talk will be given by Andrew Davis. Mr Davis spent four years as a professor at Hokkaido University, teaching and conducting research. If the study of birds interests you then get yourself down to this lecture! To reserve your place, please call the Japan Society office on 020 7828 6330 or 
email events@japansociety.org.uk.
There is a last change to catch this fascinating exhibition called "The Father of Japanese Modern Architecture: Josiah Conder." This exhibition outlines the life and works of British architect Josiah Conder (1852 - 1920) in Japan and the renovation of the Conder-designed Mitsubishi Ichigokan Building and Museum in Tokyo, which is due to open in April 2010. The exhibition will take place at the The Embassy of Japan in the UK, 101 - 104 Piccadilly, London W1J 7JT. For more information please email exhibition@jpembassy.org.uk. Josiah Conder (September 28, 1852 – June 21, 1920) was named the "father of Japanese architecture". A British architect born in London, he designed the Rokumeikan (known as the Deer Cry Pavilion, or Hall of the Baying Stag) and educated many Japanese architects who later won distinction, notably Tatsuno Kingo.
There are still places on our January 2010 class list so please sign up!!! Please follow this link to enrol.
