The Japanese collections

While Japanese culture dates back thousands of years, the gallery's collections of Japanese art date mostly to the Edo period (1615-1868) or later. A particular strength within the collection is Edo painting, due in part to the enthusiastic support of the late Kenneth and Yasuko Myer. Other strengths of the collection include 20th-century works on paper and ceramics. The displays present a distillation of major traditions within Japanese culture - the samurai, the 'floating world' of the Edo townspeople, the transience of nature, the complex influence of China and from the mid 1800s of the West, and the enduring tradition of tea. The importance of the tea ceremony within Japanese culture has been recognised by the inclusion of a working tea room. Buddhist art of Japan is on display in Faiths of Asia in the upper gallery.