ITALY MAY SEEK RETURN OF ANTIQUITIES FROM JAPAN

The international effort to recover “stolen” works of art from some of the world’s best museums has gathered pace with reports that Italy is seeking the return of Roman antiquities from Japan, Justin McCurry reports for The Guardian. Authorities in Italy suspect that up to one hundred treasures from ancient Rome were looted and have asked the Japanese government to help secure their return, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported. About fifty of the missing treasures, including a sculpture and a fresco, are being kept at the Miho, a private museum in Shiga prefecture in western Japan known for its large collection of Asian and Western antiques. “We believe that our collection does not include anything that was dug up illegally,” stated Hiroaki Katayama, head of Miho’s cultural department.