Notable collections and hidden treasures
Takarazuka collection at the East Asia Library
Consisting of pamphlets, postcards and magazines from the 1910s through the present, the Takarazuka collection at the East Asia Library is a wonderfully visible introduction to this vibrant all-female theater troupe.
Japanese Buddhist musical materials collection
The Japanese Buddhist musical materials collection covers a wide swath of time, from the 1800s through the present. Printed volumes, manuscripts, CDs provide a rich resource on the history of Buddhist instrumental and ritual music in Japan.
Japanese medicinal history collection
Consisting of printed volumes, manuscripts, advertisements, prints, postcards, objects, the Japanese medicinal history collection is a multifarious collection of primary resources on the history of medicine in Japan from the 1600s through the mid-20th century.
Collection of historical materials related to sericulture and agriculture in Japan
A growing collection of woodblock prints, photo albums, how-to manuals, and fabric sample books provide a variety of primary sources on the history of silk production in Japan from the 1700s through the mid-20th century.
Stanford's collection of Japanese woodblock print books
Stanford has over 500 titles of Japanese woodblock-printed books from the 18th and 19th century.
Rare Japanese materials from the 1940s and 1950s
The East Asia Library has identified within its collection over 2000 titles published during in the 1940s and 1950s that are held by few (if any) other libraries in the world. Important primary sources for scholars of the twentieth century, the titles cover topics such as colonial territories, nuclear radiation, communism, labor, industrial mobilization, agriculture, among others. Many were considered classified at the time they were published.
Newspapers published during the Allied Occupation of Japan, 1945-1952
A hidden jewel of the Japanese collection is the vast assortment of newspapers held at the Newark facility. Most of these titles were collected by the Hoover Institute's Tokyo office in the post-war period and many are quite rare. Perform a subject term search in SearchWorks ("Newspapers published during the Allied Occupation of Japan, 1945-1952") to discover over 180 newspaper titles from the years 1945-1952 that cannot even be found in the Prange Collection at the University of Maryland!
Japanese rare materials related to travel
The Japanese collection boasts a large collection of prints from the 17th through the mid-20th century. Reflecting the newly widespread availability of printing technology, the earliest of these prints tend to be locally-produced, rough, black-and-white images of temple-shrine complexes (pilgrimage being one of the few permissible forms for travel at the time). With time, color begins to brighten these souvenirs pictures and changes in printing technology give them more detail and precision. The later images of temples and shrines provide visual evidence of the effort to separate Shinto from Buddhism that began in the late 19th century. This collection of travel-related prints also reveals the importance of other destinations, such as hot spring resorts (onsen), as well the tenacity of this format, which is adopted by modern companies to advertise their goods.
Kawaraban: Early Modern News Sheets from Japan
Kawaraban "tile-block printing" broadsheets reported on natural disasters, gossip, important events and festivals throughout the Edo period (1600-1868).
Japanese textbook (kyokasho) collection
Stanford has over 400 Japanese textbooks from the early twentieth century (and some more recent ones also!). Perform a subject search for "Stanford kyokasho collection" to review the list!
Stanford manga collection
Stanford has a robust manga collection boasting more than 330 titles. To review the titles, search for "Stanford manga collection."
Japanese Juvenile Literature related to the 3/11 Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Accident
There have been many publications related to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, but among the most poignant are the efforts of authors to explain this incident to children.
Japanese DVD and Blu-ray Collection
Japanese DVDs and Blu-ray disks are hold in the Media Center at Green Library.
Stanford collection of juvenile literature published in Japan
The East Asia Library has started to collect award-winning Japanese children’s books. Perform a subject term search for "Stanford Collection of Juvenile Literature published in Japan" to pull up the entire list!
