Inkstone donated to National Museum

To mark the 40th anniversary of Sino-Japanese relations, Nosaka Yoneko, the daughter of Nosaka Sanzo (1892-1993), a co-founder of the Japanese Communist Party, on July 27 donated an inkstone from her father's private collection to the National Museum of China.

The inkstone was carved by master craftsman Dai Qingsheng (1889-1987) in 1963.

"I have come to donate this inkstone to China according to my father's wishes," Nosaka Yoneko said.

"The inkstone is a witness to the history of friendly relations between the Japanese and Chinese people."

The artwork had been in her father's private collection since April 1964, after he received it as a gift from Nan Hanchen (1895-1967), the founder and first governor of the People's Bank of China, the nation's central bank.

In April 1964, Nosaka Sanzo and his party helped Nan hold the first trade fair of the People's Republic of China in Tokyo.

The trade fair is widely viewed as an ice-breaking event in the normalization of diplomatic relations. And the gift from Nan Hanchen is considered a witness to a chapter in the history of Sino-Japanese relations.