Otaru, a pleasant harbour city near Sapporo famous for its super-fresh sushi, winter snow lantern festival, and well-preserved canal and townscape, is the perfect size to explore in a day.

14 February marked the UK release of COTTONTAIL, a film directed by Patrick Dickinson and starring Lily Franky as Kenzaburo, who travels with his family to England in order to spread the ashes of his wife Akiko at Lake Windermere in the Lake District. A story on loss, family mending, and self-discovery, COTTONTAIL takes viewers on an emotional journey between Japan and England. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with the star Lily Franky and the director Patrick Dickinson to discuss the film.

The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of the largest snow sculpture festivals in the world, transforms the city into a winter wonderland each year with hundreds of breathtaking snow and ice sculptures. The construction process is, in many ways, just as awe inspiring as the festival, however it is near impossible for visitors and even locals to get a glimpse behind the curtain. With that in mind, last year I decided to make a documentary following a snow sculpture team for several months to understand the ins and outs of how these towering snow creations are put together.

Shizuoka Prefecture, a neighbour to 4 other prefectures in Japan, is a common corridor that people travel through to get to locations such as Kyoto and Osaka. However, did you know that Shizuoka boasts a huge amount of scenery, experiences, and culture that will make you want to plan a trip to the area for your next Japan adventure!

Officially opening on May 15, 2024, and running until September 8, Japan House London’s new exhibition, Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN, asks the question of ‘What is design?’ Seven Japanese creators have come together to try to answer this question!