Series Historical Collection: Speaking to the Future - History of Tokyo National Museum - Books from the Former Shojakukan Library Collection

In 1869, the second year of the Meiji period, the government merged the educational institutions of the former Tokugawa shogunate, including academies devoted to Western learning, Confucian learning and medical study, to establish a university. At the same time, it also took possession of the collection of books which had previously belonged to the shogunate.

In 1872, the year which marked the birth of the present-day Tokyo National Museum, the Ministry of Education established a library within the grounds of Yushima Seido (a Confucian shrine which still exists in Tokyo today) to make the books available to the public. This library, known as Shojakukan, was administered by the early incarnation of this museum.

The library was moved to Asakusa (and renamed "Asakusa Bunko") in 1874, after which ownership of most of the 140,000 books in its collection was returned to the government. Ownership of books deemed necessary for museum work, however, was retained.

Despite the fact that the Shojakukan name was only in use for 2 years, there are still many books in the museum collection today which bear the Shojakukan stamp. This exhibit showcases resources once held by Shojakukan which cover a variety of different fields, including imperial court customs, chemistry, and works which contributed to the understanding of overseas cultures at the time, such as Seiyo Jijo ("Conditions in the West") edited by Fukuzawa Yukichi.

Also on display is a Muromachi-period (1392-1573) copy of Chiribukuro, an early encyclopedia once donated to Shojakukan by founding museum director Machida Hisanari, as well as resources donated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and kaitakushi (Development Agency for the northern territories) of the Meiji period.

This display sheds light on the 1872 Yushima Seido Exposition, the first event of its kind in Japan, which was held as its name suggests at Yushima Seido, the home ofShojakukan. Today's Tokyo National Museum had its beginnings with this event, and materials displayed at this exposition still exist in its collection. These, along with the books from Shojakukan, offer an interesting glimpse into the museum's history.