[ { "pname":"Address", "pvalue":"The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, P.O. Box 208330, New Haven, CT 06520-8240, U.S.A." } , { "pname":"Contact Person (Please replace the \"[ATMARK]\" with the symbol @ when e-mailing the contact person.)", "pvalue":"Haruko Nakamura
203-432-1792; Fax: 203-432-8527
E-mail: haruko.nakamura[ATMARK]yale.edu" } , { "pname":"Collection Size", "pvalue":"Books: 945 titles; 3,163 vols.
Manuscripts: 886 titles; 1,250 vols.
Single-Sheet Items: 29 titles; 39 sheets" } , { "pname":"Collection Description", "pvalue":"The majority of rare materials owned by Yale University are part of two distinct collections. These collections, the Japanese Manuscript Collection and the Yale Association of Japan Collection are both held in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, along with a small number of other works from Japan such as a book from the Jesuit Mission Press, the rare Kirishitan-ban from 1610 known as the Flosculi. A much smaller and diverse assortment of rare materials are held in Sterling Memorial Library and include Edo period maps and guides, ehon such as the Hokusai manga, and other, primarily 19th century printed books.

The Japanese Manuscript Collection was acquired by Kan'ichi Asakawa, the first curator of the Yale East Asian collection, during a buying trip in 1906-1907. In certain respects, these materials complement the collection of manuscripts in the Library of Congress since Asakawa was purchasing materials for LC during the same trip. All of the works pertaining to Buddhhism and the history of Japanese thought were allocated to LC, while Yale's purchases related to the study of medieval history including such topics as the legal system, military and commercial law, martial arts, and foreign affairs. While many of the manuscripts in the collection are originals, approximately sixty works were transcribed for Yale from originals or good copies. The entire collection consists of over 700 titles in 1,200 volumes and dates from the 17th to the early 20th century.

The Yale Association of Japan Collection was assembled in the 1930s by University of Tokyo historian Katsumi Kuroita and presented to Yale by the Association in 1934. It contains approximately 350 items ranging from manuscripts, sutras, calligraphy, and books to maps and art objects and was selected with the goal of illustrating the development of Japanese culture. It includes materials dating from the 8th century to the 20th century. The collection includes the famous Hyakumantō dharani 8th century printed Sutras, original documents from Tōdaiji dating from 1055, original records of the cadastral survey of Nishi Kamo compiled by order of Hideyoshi in 1586 and 1589, a collection of Tekagami, containing calligraphy samples from famous people produced between the 8th and 17th centuries, three copies of Ise monogatari dating from the 15th to the 17th centuries, and 12th century copies of the Hokekyō written in gold on indigo paper. It also includes examples of ōraibon (including a 17th century Teikin ōrai), meisho zue, Nara ehon, and many other genres. A detailed description of each item in the collection is contained in the book catalog found here.

The East Asia Library Special Collections are a diverse assortment of rare materials which include Edo period maps and guides, ehon such as the Hokusai manga, and other, primarily 19th century printed books. Part of the collection includes books that were collected by Addition Van Name (1835-1922) who served as the University Librarian at Yale University from 1865 to 1904. The collection was assembled thanks to generous funds from Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) during the 1890s. O.C. Marsh was the first director of the Yale Peabody Museum and the first paleontologist at Yale. " } , { "pname":"Material Availability for Researchers' Viewing/Examination", "pvalue":"Most of these rare book materials are kept in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Procedures for gaining entry to the Beinecke can be found here.
Since many are housed in various parts of the building, it is recommended that prior contact be made with East Asia Library staff to verify location. Information about obtaining access to Sterling is available at:
http://www.library.yale.edu/circ/privlegs.html." } , { "pname":"Online Access to Relevant Bibliographic Information", "pvalue":"OCLC and OPAC are available here.

Iēru Daigaku shozō Nihon kanren shiryō chōsa purojekuto by Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo.

The Japanese Manuscripts Collation

Yale Association of Japan Collection" } , { "pname":"Printed Catalogs of Relevant Titles", "pvalue":"Tokyo Daigaku Shiryō Hensanjo ed. Iēru Daigaku shozō Nihon kanren shiryō: kenkyu to mokuroku. Tokyo: Bensei Shuppan, 2016.

Catalogue of books, manuscripts and other articles of literary, artistic and historical interest, illustrative of the culture and civilization of old Japan. Tokyo: Yale Association of Japan, 1934.

Asakawa, Kan'ichi. Gifts of the Yale Association of Japan. New Haven: s.n., 1945.

\"Iēru Daigaku-zō Nihon Monjoo korekushon mokuroku.\" Kokubungaku Kenkyū Shiryōkan Bunken Shiryōbu chōsa kenkyū hōkoku (11): 31-93 (2nd group) (1990)" } , { "pname":"Possibility of Material Reproduction", "pvalue":"Microfilming, photocopying, and digitization are possible at the Beinecke Library. Fees are found here." } , { "pname":"Publications on the Collection, beyond Catalogs", "pvalue":"

  1. Botsman, Daniel V.et. al. Treasures from Japan: in the Yale University Library. New Haven, Conn.: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 2015.
  2. Tokyo Daigaku Shiryō Hensanjo ed. Iēru Daigaku shozō Nihon kanren shiryō: kenkyu to mokuroku. Tokyo: Bensei Shuppan, 2016.
  3. Kaneko, Hideo. “Asakawa Kanichi to toshokan no kizuna.” Asakawa Kanichi no Sekai. Tokyo: Waseda Daigaku Shuppanbu 1993: 225-235.
  4. Hammond, Ellen H, \"A history of the East Asia Library at Yale University\" Collecting Asia: East Asian libraries in North America, 1868-2002, Peter X. Zhou, Association for Asian Studies 2010, p. 3-20.
  5. Fleming, William D, Japanese Students Abroad and the Building of America’s First Japanese Library Collection, 1869–1878. Journal of the American Oriental Society; Ann Arbor Vol. 139, Iss. 1, (Jan-Mar 2019): 115-141
    6. Botsman, Daniel V.et. al. Treasures from Japan: in the Yale University Library. New Haven, Conn.: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 2015.
  6. Kaneko, Hideo. \"Kan'ichi Asakawa and the Yale University Library.\" Committee on East Asian Libraries Bulletin (75): 22-32 (Oct. 1984)
  7. \"Eru Daigaku Toshokan zō Nara ehon Ise monogatari.\" Kokubungaku Kenkyū Shiryōkan hō (16): 1-5 (1981)
  8. Kaneko, Hideo. \"Marginalia.\" Yale University Library Gazette 59 (Apr. 1985): 177-180. (This article describes the donations of an additional hyakumantō dharani and the Flosculi Jesuit Press book to Yale.)
" } ]