Waseda University Library

History

Waseda University (早稲田大学 Waseda Daigaku; or 早大 Sōdai for short) is one of the two most prestigious private universities in Japan (the other is Keio University). It is one of the Tokyo 6 Universities Alliance. It is located on the northern side of Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.

The Waseda University Library (早稲田大学図書館; Waseda Daigaku Toshokan) was originally established at the time of the founding of the University in 1882 (at that time called 東京専門学校; Tokyo Senmon Gakkou). All together there are 29 libraries at the University. They include the Central Library, 4 Campus Libraries, and school libraries or reading rooms for students, attached to each school and institute. These libraries are said to hold 4.5 million books. The Waseda University Library also possesses a unique collection which survived the Bombing of Tokyo in World War II unlike many of its counterparts. There many items in the Waseda library do not exist even the collection of the National Diet Library. Because of this, its collection is an important resource in the study of pre-war Japanese history and literature.

Branches

The Library is divided into a central library four branch libraries at each campus.

• The Central Library
• The S.Takata Memorial Research Library
• The Library of Science and Engineering
• The Toyama Library
• The Tokorozawa Library

Collections

The Waseda University Library owns a large number of materials of eminent cultural value. Together with two items designated as National treasures and 5 sets (187 items) as Important Cultural Assets, there are manuscripts, rare books, calligraphies, handwriting strips of poems, archival materials related to Japanese history, and several special collections named after their donators etc. Because of their rarity, access to such materials is usually limited, except for special exhibitions.

Among Waseda University Library's many unique collections are the following;

• Literary works from the Qing dynasty of China, collected by the writer of Chinese verse, Noguchi Ichitaro (nom de plume: Neisai, 1867-1905).
• Histories of the Ming Dynasty, donated in 1910 by Shimomura Masataro (1883-1944), the owner of Daimaru Draper in Kyoto and alumnus of Waseda.
• Statistical literature in early modern Japan.
• Governmental materials and letters related to University's founder.
• Chinese military books in the Qing and Ming era.
• Japanese and Chinese classical mathematics, in particular numerous editions of "Jinkoki"
• Japanese books of the late Edo period
• Original manuscripts of the renga masters (Sogi, Shinkei etc.)
• History of the modern Japanese legal system