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Nunokawa Collection

updated on
by Humanities Room

This webpage provides general information about the Nunokawa Collection and how to make use of this collection.

1. General Overview

This is a collection of approximately 25,100 items related to publishing accumulated by Mr. Kakuzaemon Nunokawa (1901-1996), who was widely active in the publishing world. A storage contract was concluded in 1987 and 1991. The collection was taken into trust by the Ueno Branch Library (at that time). With renovations underway at the Ueno Branch Library, the collection was transferred to the Tokyo Main Library, whereby endowment procedures were then formalized. In 2004, the Nunokawa Collection was designated as a "special collection" and opened to the general public.

The collection comprises books (approximately 12,100 volumes in Japanese and 600 volumes in Western languages), serial publications (approximately 12,100 Japanese periodicals (circa 1,700 titles) and 100 Western periodicals (circa 30 titles), 60 newspapers (approximately 20 titles)), and 200 volumes of materials in Asian languages. Focusing on the history of publishing, histories of publishing companies, biographies of publishers, the state and theory of publishing, publishing law, and publishing-related subjects such as editing, printing, and bookbinding, the wide scope of this collection extends to materials related to journalism, bibliography, and the library.

The first issues of magazines and newspapers such as "Taiyo" (The sun, premiering in 1895) and "Shin shosetsu" (The new novel, premiering in 1889) are also included in the collection. The materials have been stored in their original condition for the most part, with books retaining their original jackets and book band, and magazines left unbound.

Though the majority of the materials in the Nunokawa Collection have been made available in the Tokyo Main Library Humanities Room, among the books published up to the end of the Edo period or the early Meiji period, books bound in Japanese style and items designated as semi-rare books by this library are available for use in the Tokyo Main Library Rare Books and Old Materials Room. Asian language materials (excluding Chinese and Korean language) are available in the Kansai-kan Asian Resources Room.

2. How to Search

Some Japanese materials and all Chinese or Korean materials from the Nunokawa Collection provided in the Tokyo Main Library Humanities Room can be searched on NDL Search. Other materials are searchable with the browsing lists or databases below. Please note that printed versions of the browsing lists (which include materials provided in the Tokyo Main Library Rare Books and Old Materials Room and the Kansai-kan Asian Resources Room) are available for perusal in the Humanities Room.

(Materials provided in the Tokyo Main Library Rare Books and Old Materials Room)
On the NDL Search, open the "Refiners", click "add field" and add "Location". Select "Rare Books and Old Materials Room" from the "Location" field, then paste in "布川角左衛門旧蔵" (The former collection of Kakuzaemon Nunokawa) into the "Keyword" field.

(Materials in Asian language provided in the Kansai-kan Asian Resources Room)
On the NDL Search open the "Refiners", click "add field" and add "Location". Select "Kansai-kan" from the "Location" field, then paste in "布川角左衛門旧蔵" (The former collection of Kakuzaemon Nunokawa) into the "Keyword" field.

3. How to Use

Except for certain materials, user registration is required to access the collection. Because of the condition of the material, we do not provide interfacility requests or interlibrary loan services.

Materials available in the Humanities room
Users cannot apply from NDL Search. Please fill out the material request form available in the Tokyo Main Library Humanities Room and submit it at the counter. You are also required to fill out an application form giving the objective and theme of the research. As a rule, materials cannot be photocopied for the purpose of preserving the original binding.

Materials available in the Rare Books and Old Materials Room
Users cannot apply from NDL Search. Please fill out the material request form available in the Tokyo Main Library Humanities Room and submit it at the counter. You are also required to fill out an application form giving the objective and theme of the research.

Please note that an application is required to browse rare and semi-rare books (items with call numbers beginning "WA" or "WB") in the original. Items may not be accessed on the same date application has been made. Please contact the Rare Books and Old Materials Room first. For details, please view the guide to the Rare Books and Old Materials Room.

Materials available in the Kansai-kan Asian Resources Room
Please make a request on NDL Search.

Materials available for viewing in the NDL Digital Collections
On the NDL Digital Collections, select "All collections" > "Nunokawa Collection." (As of March 2026, most materials can be viewed only within the National Diet Library.)

4. References

Numbers inside the brackets 【 】 indicate the NDL call number for an item.