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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 November 1987 and 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, Japanese antique books, magazines and newspapers up to the early Meiji period are available 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)

  • Japanese antique books, magazines and newspapers up to the early Meiji period from the Nunokawa Collection
    On the NDL Search , open the "Rifiners", 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 provided in the Kansai-kan Asian Resources Room)

  • Asian language materials (excluding Chinese or Korean materials) from the Nunokawa Collection
    On the NDL Search open the "Rifiners", click "add field" and add "location". Select "Kansai-kan" from the "Location" field, then paste in "VG1-*" into the "Call No." field.

3. How to Use

Visitors who wish to use the materials available in the Tokyo Main Library Humanities Room and the Rare Books and Old Materials Room are required to complete an application for permission to browse them. In certain instances, some materials may not be accessible depending on their condition. Moreover, as many materials are in an advanced state of deterioration, please consult the attending librarian first, before making copies.

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 that are provided in the Rare Books and Old Materials Room. 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.

4. References

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