How is Toyo Bunko? Toyo Bunko reviews and website information

Tōyō Bunko is the largest library for Asian studies in Japan, located in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. The library mainly houses ancient books and masterpieces from Japan, China and many other Asian countries. As one of the most important Asian studies institutions in Japan and even the world, Tōyō Bunko is not only a library, but also an academic research center dedicated to promoting the study of Asian history, culture, language and society. The website of Tōyō Bunko is www.toyo-bunko.or.jp, through which users can access a wealth of digital resources and learn about the library's collections, activities and research projects.

Historical Background of the Toyo Bunko

The history of Toyo Bunko can be traced back to the early 20th century. Its establishment is closely related to Iwasaki Hisaya, a famous industrialist in modern Japanese history. Iwasaki Hisaya is the eldest son of Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of Mitsubishi Group. After his success, he invested a lot of money in cultural undertakings, including the establishment of Toyo Bunko. In 1917, Iwasaki Hisaya bought a batch of precious Chinese ancient books from British scholar and diplomat Edmund Backhouse, which became the initial collection basis of Toyo Bunko.

In 1924, the Toyo Bunko was officially established, initially in the private library of the Iwasaki family. Over time, the size of the library continued to expand, and the collection of books and documents became increasingly rich. By the middle of the 20th century, the Toyo Bunko had become one of the most important Asian research institutions in Japan and the world. Today, the Toyo Bunko is not only a library, but also an academic research center, attracting scholars and researchers from all over the world.

Collection of Toyo Bunko

The collection of the Toyo Bunko covers ancient books and masterpieces from many countries and regions in Asia, especially documents from China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, India, etc. The number of books in the library exceeds 1 million, including a large number of rare books, orphan books and manuscripts. The following are some of the important collections of the Toyo Bunko:

• Chinese ancient books: The Toyo Bunko has a large collection of Chinese ancient books, including the Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature, the Yongle Encyclopedia, the Twenty-Four Histories, etc. These documents are not only important records of Chinese history and culture, but also important materials for studying ancient Chinese society, economy, politics and thought.
• Japanese ancient books: The library also has a large collection of Japanese ancient books, including "Kojiki", "Nihonshoki", "Manyoshu", etc. These documents are important materials for studying ancient Japanese history, culture and language.
• Korean ancient books: The Toyo Bunko also has a considerable collection of Korean ancient books, including "Samguk Sagi", "Koryo History", "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty", etc. These documents are important materials for studying Korean history and culture.
• Mongolian and Tibetan documents: The library also houses Mongolian and Tibetan documents, including The Secret History of Mongolia and the Tibetan Tripitaka. These documents are important sources for studying the history, culture and religion of Mongolia and Tibet.
• Other Asian documents: The Toyo Bunko also houses documents from India, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, etc., including the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Viharaya Sutra, etc. These documents are important sources for studying the history, culture, and religion of these regions.

Academic Research at Toyo Bunko

The Toyo Bunko is not only a library, but also an academic research center. The library has a special research department dedicated to promoting the study of Asian history, culture, language and society. The library's researchers include historians, linguists, sociologists, religious scholars, etc. Their research covers all aspects of Asia.

The Toyo Bunko also regularly holds academic conferences, lectures and exhibitions, inviting scholars and experts from home and abroad to share their research results. These activities not only promote academic exchanges, but also enhance the public's awareness and understanding of Asian history and culture.

In addition, Toyo Bunko has published a series of academic journals and monographs, which are distributed worldwide and have become important reference materials for the study of Asian history and culture.

Digital resources of Toyobunko

With the development of information technology, Toyo Bunko is also actively promoting the digitization of its collection. At present, the library has digitized a large number of ancient books and documents and opened them to the public through its website. Users can access these digitized resources online for reading and research.

The digital resources of Toyo Bunko include:

• Digitized ancient books: The library has digitized a large number of ancient books, and users can read the high-definition images of these ancient books online.
• Digitized Documents: The library also digitizes the documents in its collection and users can access the full text of these documents online.
• Digitized maps: The library also houses a large collection of ancient maps, which have also been digitized and users can browse high-definition images of these maps online.
• Digitized photos: The library also has a large collection of historical photos, which have also been digitized and users can browse high-definition images of these photos online.

Through these digital resources, users can more conveniently access the Toyo Bunko collection for research and study.

Public events at Toyo Bunko

The Toyo Bunko is not only an academic research institution, but also a cultural institution open to the public. The Bunko regularly hosts various public events, including exhibitions, lectures, workshops, etc., aiming to enhance the public's knowledge and understanding of Asian history and culture.

The following are some of Toyo Bunko's public events:

• Exhibitions: The library regularly holds exhibitions on various themes to showcase its collection of ancient books, documents, maps, photos, etc. These exhibitions not only attract a large number of visitors, but also increase the public's interest in Asian history and culture.
• Lectures: The library also regularly holds lectures on various topics, inviting scholars and experts from home and abroad to share their research results. These lectures not only promote academic exchanges, but also enhance the public's awareness and understanding of Asian history and culture.
• Workshops: The library also regularly organizes workshops on various topics, inviting the public to participate, interact and learn. These workshops not only increase public participation, but also promote the public's research on Asian history and culture.

The future of Toyo Bunko

With the development of globalization and informatization, Toyo Bunko is constantly adjusting and optimizing its development strategy to adapt to the requirements of the new era. In the future, Toyo Bunko will continue to promote the study of Asian history, culture, language and society, and will also further strengthen its digitalization work and expand the coverage of its digital resources.

In addition, Toyo Bunko will continue to strengthen cooperation with other research institutions and libraries at home and abroad to promote international cooperation and exchanges in Asian studies. Through these efforts, Toyo Bunko will continue to play its important role globally and become an important center for Asian studies.

How to access Toyo Bunko

The Toyo Bunko is located in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, and the public can visit and study the library. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday, and is closed on Mondays and statutory holidays. The public can browse the ancient books and documents in the library's reading room, and can also participate in various public events held by the library.

In addition, the public can access the Toyo Bunko's digital resources for online reading and research through its website (www.toyo-bunko.or.jp). The website's interface is simple and clear, allowing users to easily search and browse the library's collection.

Conclusion

The Toyo Bunko is one of the most important Asian research institutions in Japan and even in the world. Its rich collection and outstanding research work have made important contributions to the study of Asian history and culture. Through its website and public activities, the Toyo Bunko not only provides valuable research resources to the academic community, but also popularizes Asian history and cultural knowledge to the public. In the future, the Toyo Bunko will continue to be committed to promoting the development of Asian studies and become an important center for Asian studies.