It’s that time again when I round up my favourite things that found their way onto Sophie’s Japan Blog this year! I think 2017 surpassed 2016 both in terms of blog activity and general madness in the world…
I’d like to say a big thank you to you lovely readers, sponsors and collaborators!
Below are 2017’s winners and runners-up, with links to their very own blog posts. So, you can catch up on any posts you missed!
A heads up for 2018: I feel the last few months of this blog have been very film-heavy, which isn’t the level of diversity I’m going for. Not to mention, there was a period where I was forcing myself to fit in three posts away, which simply wasn’t sensible. So, I’m aiming for quality over quantity next year with more varied blog posts!
Travel wish-list spot of the year
Winner: Sapporo Snow Festival
Runner-up: Ise Jingu
Book of the year
Winner: Six Four by Hideo Yokohama
Runner-up: Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 by Naoki Higashida
Film of the year
Winner: Oh Lucy!
Runners-up: Blank 13, Close-Knit
Film festival of the year
Winner: Raindance Film Festival
Runner-up: BFI Film Festival
Anime film of the year
Winners: A Silent Voice, The Red Turtle
Runner-up: Perfect Blue
Anime series of the year
Winner: Food Wars!
Runner-up: My Love Story!!
Restaurant of the year
Winner: Sosharu
Runners-up: Nanban
Pop up of the year
Winner: Pop Up Japan at Proud East
Winner: Tombo’s Hello Kitty pop up
Bar of the year
Winner: Machi-ya
Exhibition of the year
Winner: ‘Hokusai: beyond the Great Wave’ at the British Museum
Runner-up: ‘The Japanese House: Architecture and Life After 1945’ at the Barbican
Performance of the year
Winner: Ninagawa’s Macbeth at the Barbican
Runner-up: Yamato Drummers of Japan at Peacock Theatre
Event of the year
Winner: Hyper Japan summer 2017
Interviewee of the year
Winners: Dan Green and Eric Stuart
Runner-ups: Kanpai London Craft Sake, Producers of ‘Boys for Sale’