Directory of Overseas Collections of
Old and Rare Japanese Books, Other Print Materials and Manuscripts

This directory provides information on libraries and museums outside of Japan that hold old and rare Japanese materials, including manuscripts, printed books, and single sheet items, such as maps and ukiyoe prints. Each entry consists of the institution's address, name of contact person, collection size, collection description, viewing possibility, reproduction policy, availability of online and print catalogs, and other relevant information. The directory was originally compiled by the Subcommittee on Japanese Rare Books under the Committee on Japanese Materials, Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL), based on survey results provided by the participating institutions in North America. Now with the cooperation of relevant organizations from wider areas, the scope of the directory has been widened to include holding institutions in Europe and the Oceania region as well.

In the past years this directory was maintained by the Subcommittee on Japanese Rare Books. However, considering users' convenience and the need for more stability, the Subcommittee requested that the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL) maintain the directory database. In response to this request, NIJL redesigned the directory and made it available from its website in 2011. In terms of the content of the directory, the participating institutions are responsible for the accuracy of their own information. For redesigning the directory, the Subcommittee on Japanese Rare Books and NIJL agreed to collaborate in collecting data for and updating entries. Although the directory currently offers more information in English, we hope that it will gradually include more entries in Japanese.

As we have tallied up known holdings, it has become clear that there is an enormous quantity of old and rare Japanese books and pictorial materials in collections outside of Japan, and quite a few of these are deemed precious in that no other copies can be located in Japan. This directory attempts to accurately describe the situation related to old and rare Japanese materials held by institutions outside of Japan for researchers' ready use. Librarians outside of Japan have also been working on identification of affected resources with use of various union catalogues, such as OCLC WorldCat, NACSIS-CAT, and NIJL's Union Catalogue of Early Japanese Books, which helps to further improve the research environment involving these materials. As the directory project progresses, we can expect even more surveying of overseas collections of old and rare Japanese materials by Japanese researchers. The directory project will also stimulate use among international scholars which would further expand global academic exchange concerning these materials.