Kyoto University Library Network

The service has been restored (2025/04/28/13:00).

As of 9:30 a.m. on April 28, 2025, Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive is unavailable due to trouble.
We are investigating the cause of the failure. We apologize for your inconvenience.

[Digital Archive Section , Main Library]

・Those who would like to order documents from other universities (photocopy, loan), please apply by Wednesday, 5 March.
・Those who have borrowed books from other universities, the deadline for returning them is Thursday, 20 March.
・Those who haven't received or paid yet, you should do so as soon as you can.
・If you will be enrolled after April, please indicate that in the comments on your application.

*This news is for users of Kyoto University Main Library.
*The deadline differs for libraries other than the main library. Please check with each library for details.

[Infomation Service Section, Kyoto University Library]

Privacy Booth for one person is newly available in the Learning Commons!
Please use it for online meetings, online interviews, etc.

Starting date

18th February (Tue), 2025

eligible users

Only KU-members

Time limit

Within 3 hours
* Until 30 minutes before the closing time.

How to use

1)  Reserve through KULINE Room Reservation system from 1 week in advance.

2) Come to the library counter. The staff will lend out the key.

3) The key must be returned 10 minutes before the end of use.

Notes

• Number of simultaneous reservations possible is one. If you reserve the Common Study Room or Media Theater, you can not reserve Privacy Booth.
  When making multiple reservations, we will cancel any later bookings.
• Reservations can be changed or cancelled by KULINE Room Reservation system.
• If the key is not received at least 20 minutes after the start time of use, the reservation will be cancelled.

A fire broke out in the reading room on the 2nd floor of Main Library at 2 p.m. on February 6, 2025.

The cause of the fire was a lithium-ion battery. The battery shorted out, exploded and caught fire.

The fire alarm was sounded at 2:02, and the fire was extinguished 3 minutes later. After confirming safety, the library reopened.
No books were burned.

Thank you for the cooperation in firefighting efforts, activating the fire alarm, and evacuation.

7 items including “文机談” from Kikutei Collection held by the Main Library are now available in Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive. 

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.
 

▼Kikutei Collection

Bunkidan (文机談) is a collection of musical stories centered around the biwa (Japanese lute), compiled during the Bun'ei period (1264-1275). The book vividly describes the schools and masters of the biwa, and is an important source for understanding the history of music from the Heian to Kamakura periods. The second volume contains the story of Kamo no Chōmei (鴨長明), who was fond of playing the biwa.
According to the legend of the Kikutei family, the manuscript is considered to be an autograph copy by the author, Bunkibō Ryūen (文机房隆圓). However, it is actually believed to be a transcription from the late Kamakura period, not long after the work’s completion. Among the nine known versions of Bunkidan, the book of the Kikutei Collection is the oldest. Five volumes in five booklets are extant, although some pages are missing.
The second through fifth volumes were written on the reverse side of letters. In the digitization process, we restored the damaged papers, disassembled the books, and digitized all documents written inside of the pages. By making these reverse-side documents publicly available for the first time, it is hoped that further examination will determine the date of transcription in the future.

“文机談” Left: Signature by Ryūen / Right: Beginning of the first volume

In addition, six other titles are also available, including Korefusa Kōki (惟房公記), the autograph diary of Madenokōji Korefusa (万里小路惟房; 1513-1573), a Sengoku period lord, and a floor plan of the Kikutei residence.

“邸宅指図”

As of January 30, 2025, Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive provides 2,154,407 images of 25,517 titles.