[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: 225 titles from the Main Library’s Daiso-bon collection newly released
225 titles from the Daiso-bon collection held by the Main Library have been newly digitized and released.
Daiso-bon is a collection of books formerly owned by Daiso (大惣), a book lender run by Sohachi Onoya (大野屋惣八) and his family in Nagoya from the middle of the Edo period to the middle of the Meiji period. Book lenders at the time usually kept books in high demand in their stock and sold the ones out of fashion away to buy new ones. Daiso, however, had a policy not to sell away books they had bought and increased their inventory until the end of the Edo period when they became the largest book lender in Japan. After the arrival of mass production of books in the Meiji period, many book lenders disappeared, Daiso being no exception. Around 1898, Daiso decided to close the business and sold its enormous inventory of 16,734 titles of books, most of which were acquired by the Imperial Library (current National Diet Library), Tokyo Imperial University, Kyoto Imperial University and the Higher Normal School (current University of Tsukuba). Daiso Collection owned by Kyoto University amounts to 3,667 titles, or 13,081 volumes.
The majority of the items released this time are play scripts. They encompass a wide range of performances including revenge plays, courtesan purchasing, double suicide plays, and ghost stories.
Ehon Iroha kana Yotsuya Kaidan (絵本いろは假名四谷怪談) is an illustrated edition of Iroha kana Yotsuya Kaidan (いろは假名四谷怪談), a kabuki script. Its compelling and eerie illustrations draw the eye.
"絵本いろは假名四谷怪談" Left: Illustration / Center: Back cover / Right: Front cover
As of May 23, 2024, Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive provides 2,138,775 images of 25,402 titles.
* The digitization of this collection is conducted under the “Project to Build an International Collaborative Research Network for Pre-modern Japanese Texts” by the National Institute of Japanese Literature in which Kyoto University Library participates.
[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: Six Hanging rolls from the Kikutei Collection have been newly released
Thanks to the Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive Fund, six Hanging rolls from the Kikutei Collection have been newly released.
Kikutei Collection is an assembly of manuscripts and books handed down through the Kikutei Family founded by Kanesue (1281-1339; 兼季), the forth son of Sanekane Saionji (1249-1322; 西園寺実兼). The Kikutei (Imadegawa) Family was designated one of the highest status court families called the Seiga (清華) family which members can be appointed as Daijō-daijin (太政大臣) and served as biwa (Japanese lute) players. The collection includes many records of the court rituals, documents on music and instruments, and diaries hand-written by nobles.
The collection deposited in 1921 and 1923 and additional documents and scrolls of portraits related to the Kikutei Family were donated to the Main Library, Kyoto University by the owner of the collection and were formally registered as the holdings of the library in January 2021.
"Kinnori-kō waka" (公規公和歌) is a letter from Kinnori Imadegawa (今出川公規) when he asked Michishige Nakanoin (中院通茂) to correct his waka.
"Kinnori-kō waka" (公規公和歌)
The four Buddhist paintings all depict Myōonten in vivid colors.
Myōonten, holding a biwa (Japanese lute), is the god of music, and it is evident that the Kikutei (Imadegawa) Family, who served as biwa players, worshipped in this god.
"Shihon chakushoku Myōonten goson zo" (紙本著色妙音天五尊像)
The digitization of the above-mentioned rare materials has been realized thanks to the Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive Fund.
We sincerely extend our appreciation to their generosity, with our determination to continue this digitization project to preserve and make the best use of our rare materials at the same time, which we believe will lead to the promotion of research and culture.
▼Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive
Six Hanging rolls from the Kikutei Collection have been newly released
[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: Madarajima Documents Have Been Newly Released By A Joint Project With Princeton University
14 items of Madarajima Documents have been newly released by a joint project with Princeton University
The Madarajima Documents (斑島文書) consist of one scroll containing 14 documents that were issued by commanders from the first half of the 14th century to the middle of the 16th century. This scroll was purchased in November 1916 from the long-established Kyoto antiquarian bookshop Chikuho Shoro (竹苞書楼).
The scroll contains a monogrammed edict (gohan mikyoj? 御判御教書) and a conveyance by the shogun’s chief of staff (kanrei h?sho 管領奉書)" guaranteeing the rights of the ?kusa family in Tajiri district, Suruga Province, as well as documents issued by other famous generals such as Ashikaga Takauji, Ashikaga Tadafuyu, Hosokawa Yoriyuki, Hosokawa Takakuni, and ?uchi Yoshitaka.
Three documents are addressed to the Madarajima family of Hizen Province, which is why Kyoto University has named these scrolls as the Madarajima Documents. These three letters were later conveyed to the Ariura family, a descendant of the Madarajima.
Kyoto University and Princeton University have initiated a joint project in March 2020 in order to deepen the knowledge and awareness of Japanese history and culture throughout the world. The goal is to disseminate images, transcriptions, translations, and research about Japanese documents owned by the Kyoto University Museum.
The Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University Library Network and the Department of East Asian Studies of Princeton University will collaborate in carrying out this project.
- Mysteries of the Madarajima monjo (Princeton University)
- Joint Project Between Kyoto University And Princeton University On Japanese Documents Owned By The Kyoto University Museum Started（2020-05-14）
▼Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive
Madarajima Documents Have Been Newly Released By A Joint Project With Princeton University
[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: 361 items from the Kikutei Collection have been newly digitized and released
361 items from the Kikutei Collection have been newly digitized and released.
Kikutei Collection is an assembly of manuscripts and books handed down through the Kikutei Family founded by Kanesue (1281-1339; 兼季), the forth son of Sanekane Saionji (1249-1322; 西園寺実兼). The Kikutei (Imadegawa) Family was designated one of the highest status court families called the Seiga (清華) family which members can be appointed as Daijō-daijin (太政大臣) and served as biwa (Japanese lute) players. The collection includes many records of the court rituals, documents on music and instruments, and diaries hand-written by nobles.
The collection deposited in 1921 and 1923 and additional documents and scrolls of portraits related to the Kikutei Family were donated to the Main Library, Kyoto University by the owner of the collection and were formally registered as the holdings of the library in January 2021.
This time, 361 items from the collection have been newly digitized and released. These include "今出川家歴代履歴", a records of the Kikutei Family, and "伊勢外宮正遷宮", "春日祭次第", "禁中年中行事", records of rituals.
The digitization of rare materials released this time was conducted under the "Project to Build an International Collaborative Research Network for Pre-modern Japanese Texts" by the National Institute of Japanese Literature in which Kyoto University Library participates.
As of February 14, 2024, the Digital Archive provides 2,092,303 images of 25,157 titles.
▼Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive
361 items from the Kikutei Collection have been newly digitized and released
[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: 262 items from Zokyo Shoin Collection have been newly digitized and released
Zokyo Shoin Collection held by the Main Library consists of Buddhist sutras and books collected from the archives of temples by a publisher in Kyoto.
Among these, 262 items from Zokyo Shoin-bon have been newly digitized and released.
The digitization of part of Zokyo Shoin Collection is supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (23HP8002).
▼Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive
262 items from Zokyo Shoin Collection have been newly digitized and released
[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: 311 items from the Kyō-ō Gokokuji Documents held by the Kyoto University Museum have been newly released
The Kyō-ō Gokokuji Documents (monjo) were discovered by Toshihide Akamatsu in the treasure house of Toji Temple in 1937. After the war, Kyoto University borrowed, organized and transcribed them. In 1968, they were given to Kyoto University. In 1971, these documents designated as a National Important Cultural Property. The collection consists of 3043 documents that date from the Heian period (794-1185) through the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600).
This time, images of 311 of these documents has been newly released.
▼The Kyoto University Museum - Kyō-Ō Gokokuji Documents
As of February 8, 2024, the Digital Archive provides 2,021,589 images of 24,534 titles.
[Library Network] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive: 26 items including Ueno Collection, Thaner Collection and "Le journal de Shanghai" have been newly released
26 items from 5 libraries including Ueno Collection, Thaner Collection and "Le journal de Shanghai" have been newly released on the Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive.
For the list of the items released this time, Please see the news page below.
▼Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive
26 items including Ueno Collection, Thaner Collection and "Le journal de Shanghai" have been newly released
Service restored -[Maintenance] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive (Oct. 18)
The Maintenance work was completed (2023/10/18) and the service has been restored.
Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive will suspend its service due to the system maintenance from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on October 18, 2023.
Thank you for your understanding.
Service restored -[Maintenance] Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive (Sep. 15-19)
The Maintenance work was completed (2023/9/19) and the service has been restored.
Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive will suspend its service due to the system maintenance from 6:00 pm on September 15 to 10:00 am on September 19, 2023.
Thank you for your understanding.
[Library Network] All 98 itmes from the Canh Phuoc Collection held by the CSEAS has been newly released.
All 98 itmes from the Canh Phuoc Collection held by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) has been newly released on the Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive.
The Canh Phuoc Collection was found at Jing Fu si (Chùa Cảnh Phước in Vietnamese, Wat Samananam Borihan in Thai), which is one of Vietnamese Buddhist temples in Bangkok, Thailand.
The collection consists of 98 pieces of religious material written in Sino-Nom scripts from the late nineteenth to the twentieth century.
The collection is an important materials which tells us the spread of Chinese Mahayana and Vietnamese Buddhism to Southeast Asia.