The Japanese collections at Durham University’s Oriental Museum have been awarded Designated Collection status by Arts Council England, recognising their national and international significance.
The status places the collections among a select group of museum, library and archive collections recognised as being of outstanding importance outside of England’s national museums.
There are currently just over 160 designated collections in England – and Durham University now holds five of these.
They are the Chinese, Egyptian and Japanese collections at the Oriental Museum, alongside Cosin’s Library and the Sudan Archive, both held within Palace Green Library.
The newly recognised Japanese collections have grown significantly in recent years and are now one of the Oriental Museum’s fastest expanding collections.
Items span centuries of Japanese history and culture, from the Muromachi period through to contemporary works.
Highlights include swords and armour, intricately embroidered silk kimono, ceramics, woodblock prints and traditional folk toys.
The collections also reflect modern Japan through contemporary ceramics, manga, street fashion and digital art.
Rachel Barclay, Senior Curator at the Oriental Museum, said: “Being awarded Designated status is a wonderful recognition of the work that has gone into developing our Japanese collections over many years.
“What began as a relatively small collection has grown into one of the museum’s greatest strengths, supporting teaching, research and public engagement while helping us build partnerships across Japan and East Asia.
We are delighted to see their national and international significance recognised, and we look forward to sharing these remarkable collections with even more visitors through future exhibitions, research and public programmes.”
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: “This collection tells the rich and complex story of Japanese art, culture and history across four centuries and the historic links between Japan and the North East of England.
“Covering everything from 16th century porcelain to modern day street fashion and anime, there’s something here for everybody. I would like to congratulate the team for their award.”
Over the past decade, the University’s Japanese collections have more than doubled in size through major donations and acquisitions.
Significant additions in recent years include the Hyatt King Collection of Japanese ceramics, donated by David and Anne Hyatt King, and a major gift of almost 600 woodblock prints and postcards from Durham University alumnus John P Scott.
The museum also holds a nationally significant collection of traditional Japanese folk toys collected by Jane Irissa.
The collections play a central role in Durham University’s long-standing partnership with the National Museum of Japanese History in Japan, helping to strengthen international research, cultural exchange and diplomatic links.
They represent years of work by University staff to broaden the scope of the collections through building positive relationships with museums, universities and cultural organisations in Japan.
Shuji Maeda, Minister at the Japanese Embassy in London said: “Having visited Durham University twice over the past year since my arrival at the Embassy, I feel this recognition is very well deserved. This collection brings authentic Japanese culture to people across the UK, including younger generations.
“The fact that such a rich Japanese collection is accessible to those who live beyond London is particularly significant and symbolises that strong historical ties are felt across the country. I pay tribute to Rachel and her colleagues, as well as Professor Yoshi Miki, for their dedication.”
The award of Designated Status comes ahead of a major new exhibition at the Oriental Museum, ‘Breaking the Mould: Japanese Ceramics from the Hyatt King Collection’, which opens on 2 October 2026.
It will showcase highlights from the collection of more than 2,000 ceramics donated by the eminent collectors David and Anne Hyatt King.
It features the work of 20th century masters including Suwa Sozan, Fukami Sueharu and Tsukamoto Kaiji, whose creativity helped redefine Japanese ceramics in the modern era.
Displays also explore the achievements of the renowned Seifu family workshop of Kyoto and the technical brilliance of Hirado porcelain.
