Big in Japan 2026
From Kicki’s Express Delivery Service to Super Mario Galaxy. Japanese pop culture has become a dear companion to many of us. After last year’s success, Malmö Symphony Orchestra invites you to yet another edition of Big in Japan, with musical highlights from various parts of the Japanese pop-cultural treasure chest. This will be an unforgettable evening for all of us who love the Japanese fantasy worlds!
Are you also a fan of the mind-expanding films from Studio Ghibli, have you played Japanese computer games, or perhaps do you love cosplay and manga? Japanese pop culture influences and engages many of us, whether it is through comics, films, games, or other cultural expressions. Music often constitutes an important ingredient in Japanese pop culture, and that is what we focus on in Big in Japan.
In this concert, we offer everything from cult-classic games like Final Fantasy and Super Mario Galaxy to anime gems like Delicious in Dungeon and Studio Ghibli classics like Kicki’s Delivery Service and Howl’s Moving Castle. All performed by the Malmö Symphony Orchestra.
If you love Japanese popular culture, you don’t want to miss Big in Japan!
The program and concept are created by Magnus Johansson.
Discover Japan!
Discover Japan
Take the opportunity to experience Japanese culture! Origami, calligraphy, manga, Japanese tea and toys, a chopstick competition, and a demonstration of the martial art iaido. Free admission!
In conjunction with the two concert evenings featuring
Big in Japan, you have the chance to experience Japanese
culture right here at Malmö Live Concert Hall.
Try your hand at calligraphy, learn to fold origami figures,
master the use of chopsticks, and play with Japanese toys!
You can also sample Japanese cold-brew tea, read manga, and watch demonstrations of the Japanese martial art iaido. Plus, there is an opportunity to take part in a manga workshop.
All activities are free and, except for the manga workshop, are open to anyone who wishes to drop by. The manga workshop is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. Advance registration is required, and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Activities on both days
The following activities will take place on both October 8 and 9, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
Origami
Learn origami, the ancient art of folding paper into three-dimensional objects. It has been a tradition in Japan since around the year 600 and today engages people all over the world.
Miki Yasui will be on hand to guide you through the art of origami. You will have the chance to make origami figures inspired by the concert Big in Japan: the mushroom from Super Mario, the acorn from My Neighbor Totoro, and the sailor school uniform from Your Name.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the art of writing – or writing as art – an art form that has held a prominent place in several Asian countries since ancient times.
It is practiced using a brush or a pen, and here you will have the opportunity to try calligraphy with a brush. Mika Wajima, an artist from Japan now living in Lund, will teach you the art form.
Handle chopsticks
At this station, Naoki Yanagimoto teaches you the best way to hold chopsticks so your food doesn't end up falling onto the table. Once you feel you've got the hang of it, you can challenge your family or friends to move small beans from one plate to another.
Tea tasting
Few people drink as much tea as the Japanese, and there is an ancient culture surrounding tea. Steen Pipper, a Danish tea catalyst for the Global Japanese Tea Association, will offer tastings of cold-brewed tea – “mizudashi” – made from tea leaves imported directly from Japan.
Try Japanese toys
For many, Japanese toys are something exotic. Here, you meet Shiho Ikeda, who shows you how to play with Japanese toys such as koma, kendama and otedama.
Manga
Nosebleed Studio will also be present at the venue. The Malmö-based manga studio launched in 2006 with the motto “more manga for the people.” Today, twenty years later, Nosebleed Studio is one of Sweden's most established and prolific platforms for manga.
They have brought a variety of manga magazines to Malmö Live Concert Hall for you to browse, as well as their own manga books available for purchase.
Special programme
In addition to the activities above, the following events take place on Thursday and Friday.
Iaido demonstration
5:00 PM, 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM · Kuben
Iaido is the art of drawing and handling the katana, the Japanese sword, and was practiced by the Japanese warrior nobility – better known as the samurai.
Although this martial art has its roots in combat training, today it is practiced as a form of meditation in motion. At Kuben in Malmö Live Concert Hall, you will have the opportunity to see Fredrik Broman from Enighet Sportcenter perform three different iaido sessions, dressed in traditional iaido attire.
Manga workshop with Åsa Ekström
4:30–5:30 PM · Kuben
Participants will learn about Japanese comic strips known as “Yonkoma-manga” and the storytelling technique “Kishoutenketsu”, which literally translates to “introduction, development, twist, and conclusion”.
At the end of the workshop, participants will get the chance to try drawing their own manga. The workshop is led by Åsa Ekström, a manga artist who has lived and worked in both Sweden and Japan.
The workshop is free, but the number of participants is limited to a maximum of 20. Advance registration is required, and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Register for the manga workshopConversation between Åsa Ekström and Marina Nakamura
5:45–6:30 PM · Kuben
After the manga workshop, you can listen to a conversation between Åsa Ekström and Marina Nakamura, president of the Japanese Association of Skåne.
They will share their experiences of life in the two countries – ranging from favorite things and everyday frustrations to language learning, work and culture clashes.
Discover Japan is organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, the Japanese Association of Skåne and Nosebleed Studio.