The Yuji Sekine Collection of moss research materials donated to The University of Tokyo: Considerations for inheriting amateur researchers’ collections

Abstract

The Yuji Sekine Collection, which was donated to The University Museum, The University of Tokyo in 2012, consists of 8,400 items related to his research on mosses. Yuji Sekine（1900‒1989） was an amateur researcher who made a great contribution to the study of mosses in Japan. He started his study after encountering beautiful mosses in his own garden. In 1969, he published “Illustrated Guide to the Mosses in Japan,” the first book to use many photographs in Japan, and subsequently published “The Flora of Mosses in the Kamakura Area” in 1974, and “Species Identification for Mosses in Japan” in 1982. This collection includes a wide range of materials, including specimens planned for the description of new species, fully labeled packet specimens, provisional specimens with data, specimen samples in albums for taxonomic study, permanent glass-slide specimens for microscopic observation, original drawings of mosses, research equipment, and botanical books. These materials are valuable for taxonomic and ecological research, as well as for learning about changes in the natural environment of specific regions, but they also serve to trace the lives of amateur researchers. However, amateur researchers’ collections are often stored in inappropriate environments, and specimens and materials are sometimes discarded or scattered. We must recognize and share the great value of specimen collections, and to make arrangements for the preservation and utilization of collection materials through the enhancement and collaboration of natural history museums.