A significant part of the displays in the Mitsubishi Corporation Japanese Galleries at the British Museum (Rooms 92-94) are devoted to works that tell the stories of modern Japan, during the period from 1853 until the present day. Regularly rotated three times a year, these displays are presented with the broad themes of ‘Nation building and empire’, ‘City and country’ and ‘Freeing the self’.

For the next gallery rotation, scheduled for 15 June – 16 October 2011, a small selection of works has been included that relate to Tohoku, the northeast region of Japan that has recently been severely affected by the great earthquake and tsunami of 11 March. In presenting these works, the Japanese Section in the Department of Asia wishes to offer solidarity with the people of the Tohoku region and to introduce aspects of their distinctive culture, traditional and modern, to the international audience that visits the British Museum.