abstract

One hundred years ago in 1917, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty visited Japan. An American mining magnate, Beatty was already known for his extensive collections of Western and Islamic manuscripts. During his trip Beatty was entranced by the glittering scenes captured in the painted scrolls and albums set out for his perusal, and he began to add Japanese narrative and religious works to his growing library. Gathered together as a personal collection, Beatty’s library was recast as a standalone institution in a Dublin suburb in the early 1950s.

The National Library of Finland was established during Swedish rule as Royal Academy of Turku in 1640. During Russian rule the university was moved to Helsinki in1828 and it started operating under the name of the "Imperial Alexander University". After Finland's indepence in 1917, the University's library was renamed Helsinki University library. In 2006 the name of the library was changed to the National Library of Finland with an amendment of the Universities act.
The Library has several Japanese and Japan related collections.

This presentation introduces “The Japanese Popular Culture Research Project" promoted by International Research Center for Japanese Studies as one practical example of digital strategies for the research of Japanese popular culture. This project started with the plan of 6 years from 2016 and aims to provide various resources for the research of Japanese popular culture which is highly interested in Japan as well as in overseas countries in recent years. Resources include four aspects: proposal of a new way of thinking about the Japanese popular culture research, establishment of global research network, construction of databases of popular culture materials, development of educational packages.

During the Allied Forces Occupation of Japan after WWII, published materials such as books, magazines, and newspapers were censored from 1945 through 1949 by the Civil Censorship Detachment (CCD) under the Supreme Commander for Allied Powers (SCAP). In addition to publications, Japan’s traditional performing arts such as Noh, Joruri, and Kabuki plays were also censored, with an estimated 100,000 Kabuki scripts censored during the period.

Harvard-Yenching Library holds a few hundred volumes of Japanese design catalogs from the late Edo period to the early 20th century. These were originally called Hinagata, then Ishō, or Zuan in the modern era. Typical contents of traditional Hinagata include kimono patterns, architectural decorations, and details, weaving patterns. Many are hand-drawn in color. They were used for practical purposes, such as kimono merchants taking orders from clients. After the Meiji restoration in 1868 when Japan opened to the outside world, the new government promoted the export of Japanese craft goods such as pottery, lacquer ware, textiles to earn the currency necessary for building the modern nation. These goods were well received in Europe where "Japonisme" was already popular. Many designers for these craft goods were trained in Kyoto and publishers there produced color woodblock print design catalogs introducing these designers’ works