WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL), part of the National Institutes for the Humanities, marking the continuation of a partnership dedicated to advancing research, accessibility and understanding of Japan’s literary heritage. Signed this spring, the renewal is paired with the launch of a new digital resource developed in partnership with the museum: the Japanese language version of an online, searchable catalog of rare Japanese texts from the museum’s Pulverer Collection.
The new resource will enable comparative study on the expansive Pulverer Collection, especially with Japanese experts in literature and art history. Before this resource, the collection—while fully digitized and comprehensive—was only available in English, limiting its accessibility to scholars, researchers and students. To help NIJL build this version in Japanese, the museum supplied images and metadata for integration into NIJL’s database, one of the most authoritative international resources on Japanese literature.
The renewed agreement builds on a long-standing relationship between the museum and NIJL, which began when the two institutions signed their first MOU in 2020.
“This achievement represents two major facets of our museum’s mission: to broaden access to cultural heritage internationally through digitization, and to foster dialogue between disciplines that transcend borders,” said Chase F. Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. “We are driven by opportunities of knowledge-sharing such as this one, and we look forward to more collaborative projects in the second chapter of our partnership with the National Institute of Japanese Literature.”
The Pulverer Collection comprises numerous rare and pristine Japanese illustrated books produced in Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868) and beyond, collected over a span of 30 years by Dr. Gerhard Pulverer, a renowned medical researcher in Germany, and his wife, Rosemarie. In 2007, the museum acquired the entirety of the collection, more than 900 titles encompassing almost 2,200 volumes from the early 17th century to the 1970s.
“The Pulverer Collection is regarded as one of the most outstanding and comprehensive collections of Japanese illustrated books outside Japan,” said Frank Feltens, curator of Japanese art and associate director for curatorial affairs at the National Museum of Asian Art. “Now, by making this resource digitally accessible to Japanese speakers, we can connect Japanese researchers, students and other audiences directly with detailed primary sources, helping open new forms of inquiry and paths of curiosity.”
The renewed partnership is part of the museum’s broader “Japan in Focus” strategy in global affairs, to lead in the study, preservation and presentation of Japanese art and culture in close collaboration with Japanese experts and colleagues. It also advances the museum’s strategic plan to increase digital experiences and resources by working with global partners. In this second chapter of the partnership, the NIJL will, in turn, offer their experience in digitization and databases to advance the reach of the museum’s collections.
“Through this partnership with the National Museum of Asian Art, we show that institutions can share more than objects and collections,” said Kazuaki Yamamoto, director of the Core Data Center at the National Institute of Japanese Literature. “When we share expertise and infrastructure, we can build resources and projects that break down siloes and language barriers, connect cultures and open the way for new research opportunities across the globe.”
The new Japanese-language resource is available through the NIJL’s online platforms. The expansion and strengthening of global relationships is an integral part of the museum's effort to honor the United States’ 250th anniversary on-site, online and on the road.
