On the Meiji Imprints Microform Project (JMSTG) of WasedaUniversityLibrary, Japan
by NOBUO YAMAMOTO
Introduction
The deterioration of paper by acid is a great social problem because important
historical documents are being destroyed. It is said that the imprints made of acid paper will have a natural life span of only 100 years and might be lost due to deterioration in the near future.
At the beginning of the Meiji era (1868—1912), western knowledge and technology were imported toJapan. In the 1870s. the western method of paper production was adopted by Japan. In the 1880s, the production of wooden pulp began in Japan; it seems that the introduction of wooden pulp is a main cause of acid paper.
This means that about 100 years have passed since acid paper publications started. Many of these imprints illustrate the modernization of Japan and are therefore very important social documents, but they may be lost due to deterioration. According to an investigation on the deterioration of paper by the National Diet Library of Japan and others, the deterioration of imprints published since the 1880s is severe and it is dear that action must be taken urgently.
Research on paper deterioration by libraries is not as common in Japan as in western countries. The condition of library materials from the standpoint of paper deterioration is therefore still not clear in Japan.
There arc only a few examples of such research in Japan. The leader in this kind of activity is the National Diet Library (NDL), which established a task force for research on acid paper in 1983. Tins task force investigated the condition of the collection and submitted a research report in 1984.1 The report was the result of this task force activity. The Keio University Library investigated the condition of its collection and in 1984 reported the situation of paper deterioration.2 The Sapporo Central Library in Hokkaido, a public library, carried out the same type of research.3 There are about 3000 libraries in Japan, but only a few libraries have examined the state of deterioration of
their collections as the first step in dealing with preservation problems. From these few, 1 will present the summary of the report of the NDL.
I only cite the result of the NDL research on hooks published in Japan. First of all, the present state of books published in Japan in the 1870s is rather good, but the books published from the 1880s through the 1910s are deteriorating. The condition of periodicals in Japan is much the same as for books. It seems that the introduction of wooden pulp in the early Meiji era is the main reason for these paper conditions. In 1871, through Yûkô-sha the production of foreign paper using wooden pulp was began in Japan, and by 1889 Japan-made wooden pulp was used on a large scale. In the 1870s foreign paper had been produced using imported pulp and cotton. The quality of paper at that time was therefore good, but the quality o( paper in the 1880s went down since the pulp used was made in Japan. The paper made from pulp made in Japan is deteriorating considerably at present. The research report of the NDL shows this situation.1 The result of KeioUniversity's research was the same as NDL's research. These reports show the true present condition of books scattered all over the country in many libraries and institutions.
Waseda University Library will make microfiche of Meiji imprints published from the 1860s to the 1910s. Most of these, imprints were made with paper using Japanese pulp. The project Waseda University Library is carrying out is very significant.
In western countries, especially in England, this kind ol acid paper problem has been discussed for a long time and several projects arc progressing to solve these problems. They are significant projects such as STC, ESTC and NSTC.
The Present Condition of Meiji Imprints
In Japan the number of Meiji imprints in the used book market is declining and, accordingly, their prices arc going up. In another words, it is very difficult to get the Meiji imprints, even in Japan. There are virtually no more except those held by libraries and institutions all over the world. It will be very difficult to collect systematically the materials published during the Meiji era, and from now on this situation will worsen.
The Meiji era has a special meaning in the long history of Japan. It was the turning point in the modernization of Japan and we could not understand nese history without understanding the Meiji era. As the 19th century is significant in the history of Europe (from that point the NSTC project is important . the Meiji era is very important in Japanese history and the imprints of this era arc vanishing from the world. It is said that, in Japan, everything of the past Hows into the Meiji era and everything of the present comes from
that age. We should recognize the prcsenl situation of acid paper and lake action to preserve the Meiji imprints. It is our responsibility and duty to preserve these imprints and to hand them down to the following generations. Waseda University Library fortunately escaped the big earthquake in Kanto in 1923 as well as the Second World War disaster and is now holding many Meiji imprints. This is one of the biggest libraries in Japan; it keeps many printed materials published during the Meiji era together with the NDL. Waseda University Library thus has a great responsibility to preserve these materials by some means and to pass them on to our descendants.
The Number of Meiji Imprints
The number of Meiji imprints is not clear at present. In the Meiji era there were many publishing houses in the local district of Japan, especially in the Kansai district. Consequently, many libraries and institutions throughout die country preserve Meiji imprints. At the beginning of the Meiji era, the Publishing Regulations (Shuppan Jorei) were put into eflect to control publications and to require publishers to get permission to publish and to present a few copies to the proper authorities. A few years later the proper authorities became the Ministry of Home Affairs (Naimu-sho), and after that all publications were presented to the Ministry of Home Affairs to be checked and controlled by that Ministry. This means that a publishing system was established in Japan in which all publications issued in Japan had to be presented to the proper authorities for permission to publish.a This control system of publications was the censorship that continued to the end of the Second World War.
aThe outline of the legal system concerning the presentation of book to the proper authorities in the Meiji era is as follows:
Meiji 2 (1869)
The Shuppan Jōrei (Publishing Regulations) provided that five copies of anything to be published should be presented to the authorities in order to distribute to each library. Authorities mean Shohei Ko and Kaisei Kō (universities in early Meiji era).
Meiji 5 (1872)
By the amended Shuppan Jōrei, the number of books presented to the authorities became three copies.
Meiji 8 (1875)
The function of publication control was tranferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Article 20 of Shuppan Jōrei provided that 2 copies ol each bound book should be presented and should not be permitted to be published without the presentation.
Shuppan Jōrei changed to the Publishing Law in 1893 (Meiji 26) and continued until 1945.
The publications presented to the Ministry of Home Allan's were transferred to Tokyo Shojyaku-Kan (the former national library) and then the collection was taken over by the Imperial Library, which had been the national library until the end of Second World War. In 1948 the NDL was founded and
succeeded the Imperial Library. The NDL issued a National Diet Library catalogue of books printed in the Meiji era (Meiji-ki Kanko Tosho Mokuroku, 6 vols) in 1971 -1976. This catalogue records about 120,000 volumes.b According to the introduction to the catalogue, this catalogue will include around 70% of the publications issued during the Meiji era. The total number of all Meiji imprints will therefore be approximately 170.000 volumes according to the NDL. But there is another figure on the total number of Meiji imprints. This is the 1936 edition of the publishing yearbook (Shuppan Acnkan).4According to the chronological table of number of publications (number of presentations reported by the government), the total number of publications presented to the Ministry of Home Affairs from 1881 to 1912 was about 700.000 volumes. This number might include other editions and more than one copy of the same book, but a seems that the difference is too big between these two figures.
The total number of publications issued during the Meiji era is noi known at present. We would like to make the whole state of affairs of Meiji imprints clear through the Meiji Imprints Microform Project. The total number of Meiji imprints in the VVaseda University Library is now being investigated. It is assumed to be at least 70,000 volumes.c
Jt cannot be presumed that all ol the Meiji imprints could be covered by only the collections of the NDL and the Waseda University Library.
The Meiji Imprints Microform Project therefore includes various kinds of difficult problems to be solved to accomplish the task fully. In particular, mutual understanding and cooperation between the libraries and institutions of both Japan and other countries will be needed.
b The XDI. has a collection of Otsubu-tosho, which arc duplicate copies, pamphlets, various kinds of leaflets and popular books such as storybooks. They arc divided into special groups as die kind i in frequently. The National Diet Library catalogue of books printed in the Meiji era lists 58,000 lilies of this kind of book.
c The total number of books listed in the NDL catalogue of books printed in the Meiji era is 106.901 volumes. The number of Meiji imprints in the Waseda University Library is now being examined, but it will be about 70,000 volumes. There are 33 branch libraries and reading rooms in VVasedaUniversity, bin the Meiji imprints in those libraries have not been checked yet. The number in die Waseda University Library will therefore be over 70.000 volumes.
Present Stage of the Project
The project started in 1988. As the first stage, the division of literature and
linguistics has been microformed. About 10.000 materials will be included in this division. At present nearly 6,000 items have already been made in microfiche. The materials of the following libraries and institutions other than Waseda University Library art- included:
Kasl Asian Library, University of California at Berkeley, USA
KanagawaPrefecture Library
KansaiUniversity Library
KeioUniversity Library
Kyoritsu Women's University Library
National Diet Library
TenriUniversity Library
Tokyo Women's UniversityLibraryTsukubaUniversity Library.
Conclusion
Waseda University Library is going to proceed with the Meiji Imprints Microform Project despite the difficulties clue to the acid paper problem and the scarcity of publications published in the Meiji era. We would like to solve these problems urgently by mutual cooperation throughout the world. Waseda University Library intends to lake the lead in promoting this project and we hope that this project (JMSTC) will become a part of the world-wide NSTC project.5
Summaries
On the Meiji Imprints Microform Project (JMSTC) oj WasedaUniversityLibrary, Japan
A report is given on the gigantic project of preserving by microfilming the total of the book production of a certain period. The Meiji era (1868-1912), thetlime of modernization in the history of Japan, is most suitable for such a project, because it can be defined exactly, because it is of crucial importance for history and because the books of this time are fully threatened by decay, but arc still in quite good condition now.
Sur le projet de microfilmage d'impressions Meiji (JMSTC) de la Bibliotheque de
I' Universile Waseda
On fait rapport sur le gigantesque projet de conservation par microfilmage de l'ensemble de la
production literaire d'une epoque determinee. L'ere Meiji (1868— 1 912), epoque de la modernisation
au Japon, convient le mieux pour un tel project parce, qu'elle peut etre definie avec exactitude; elle est d'une importance historique cruciale et les livres de cette epoque sont menaces de disparition mais sont encore dans d'assez bonnes conditions pour le moment.
Über das Meiji-Druck Verfilmungsprojekt (JMSTC) der Waseda Universitätsbibliothek, Japan
Es wird berichtet über das gigantische Projekt, die gesamte Literatur einer bestimmten Epoche zur Sicherung zu verfilmen. Die Meiji-Ära (1868 1912), die Zeit der Modernisiening Japans, ist besonders geeignet für ein solches Projekt, weil sie genau definiert werden kanu, weil sie von entscheidender Bedeutung für die Geschichte ist und weil gerade die Bücher aus dieser Zeit vom Verfall bedroht, jetzt aber noch in recht guieni Zustand sind.
References
1. Teramura, Y.: The state of deterioration of the materials in the National Diet Library. Tokoy: NDL. Library Study Series, No. 24. March 1984, 165-76.
2. Okuzawa, M.: The examination oj the state oj deterioration on the materials in the Keio Vniuer.nty Library. In: Ircatnes on the transition of the study of library science, Vol. r). Tokyo: Nichigai Asoshieits !986: 117-46.
3. Ishiguro, M.: The state of deterioration of the materials in the Sapporo Central Library and the conservation policy in future. Newsletter oi the Research Institute onthe Conservation of Materials No. 1. (1985).
4. Shuppan Nenkan.: Publishing yearbook. Tokyo: 1936.
5. For more details of this project, please see the article in British Library Occasional Papers, 11; Japan Studies (1990): 319-25.
Nobuo Yamamoto
Director, Meiji Imprints Microform Project (JMSTC)
WasedaUniversity Library
6-1, Nishiwaseda 1-Chome
Shinjuku-ko, Tokyo 160
Japan