The campus was established in 1990 and operates as a language and cultural exchange facility for students from Teikyo University in Tokyo.

The university hosts various outreach activities such as an annual 'Japanese Festival',[2] a schools liaison program and its Japanese library is open to Durham University staff and students along with members of the local community on a part-time basis.

It was founded in 1990 and has been instrumental in implementing the three educational policies of the university: fostering open-mindedness, developing international perspectives, and practical learning.

[citation needed] It was intended to assist Japanese people planning to do business in the UK.

The library has over 30,000 Japanese-language volumes, including books about Japanese literature, art, and history.