The Sainsbury Institute was founded in 1999 through the generosity of Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury to promote knowledge and understanding of Japanese arts and cultures. As it approaches its tenth anniversary the Institute has formulated a renewed mission statement, which not only reflects the benefactors' intentions and is grounded in their original vision, but aims to expand its intellectual horizons.

The mission of the Sainsbury Institute is to be an active source of and conduit for innovative research: positioning, revealing and interpreting the arts and cultures of the Japanese archipelago from the present to the past in regional, European and global contexts.

Our research objectives are to work with our academic partners and funders:

• to increase progressively external recognition and awareness for the quality, scale and authority of our research in the material and visual cultures of the Japanese archipelago;
• to act as a catalyst for related international research of institutional partners of standing;
• to contribute to the development of synergy benefits within the University of East Anglia and amongst the Sainsbury benefactions there.

The Institute continues its close collaborations with institutional partners including the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, schools of study at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the British Museum. It maintains its programme of fellowships, public lectures and international workshops as well as its commitment to the web and web publications.

The Lisa Sainsbury Library in Norwich remains central to the Institute's vision and its collections are a research resource of major importance that we are pleased to share with advanced scholars throughout Europe.