Japanese Rare Books & Special Collections

Nara-ehon Urashima Tarō (奈良絵本浦島太郎）

Japanese rare books collection has been gradually developed based on the initial 584 volumes of woodblock printed books donated by the Imperial Household in 1928, during Dr. Ryusaku Tsunoda's tenure at the library.

C.V.スター東亜図書館所蔵の日本関係古典籍は、初代キュレーター角田柳作の在職中、1928年に宮内省図書寮より寄贈され、1931年正式に日本語図書の中核となった584巻の主に版本を基礎として、その後、購入・寄贈などにより漸次構築されたものである。

The collection also holds a number of fine reproductions of important publications as well as manuscripts.

Some 300 scrolls, both original and in reproduction, have been among the Library's treasures.

Letters to Donald Keene from Japanese literary figures, 1952-2004.
A collection of letters and manuscripts by twentieth-century Japanese authors, and first editions of Japanese literary publications, inscribed by the authors to Professor Donald Keene.
Abe Kōbō collection, 1933-2002, (bulk 1950-1993)
Original books, pamphlets, journals, magazines, manuscripts, and ephemera produced, published and collected by Abe Kōbō. Also includes photocopied newspaper, magazine, and journal articles as well as book excerpts from Abe Kōbō's study.
The Barbara Curtis Adachi Bunraku Collection, 1964-2003.
This collection contains slides, photographs with corresponding contact sheets and negatives, audio and video materials, performance-related printed materials, realia objects and personal papers related to Bunraku collected by Barbara Curtis Adachi.
The Makino Mamoru Collection on the History of East Asian Film
The Makino Collection (牧野コレクション) focuses on print materials mostly related to Japanese film that were collected over the course of fifty years by former documentary filmmaker and film researcher, Makino Mamoru.

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