The Japanese Donation in the evening news

I was delighted to see the Japanese Donation featured in the Yomiuri Shimbun this week. The article tells the story I get to work with every day: nearly 14,000 volumes given to UCLouvain by Japan around a century ago, part of an international effort to rebuild the university library after it was destroyed in 1914. It's a remarkable piece of history — and a collection I still turn to constantly in my own teaching, which never fail to captivate students.

The renewed attention follows the Emperor's visit in June, which brought fresh interest to how the donation came about in the first place. It was a pleasure to speak with the journalist and help place the collection in its historical context.

You can read the online article here: https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/world/20260915-GYT1T00219/