NIHU Transdisciplinary Project Type Multidisciplinary Collaborative Projects
Project Title Development of a Field of Comprehensive Bibliographical Studies from an Interdisciplinary Perspective [lead institution: NIJL]
Research Title Multidisciplinary Collaborative Research on the Engi-shiki: Japan’s Ancient Encyclopedia
Head of the Research Team Assoc. Prof. OGURA Shigeji
Research Period FY2016-2021
Description

“Multidisciplinary Research on the Engi-shiki: Japan’s Ancient Encyclopedia” is one of the key components of the project. Engi-shiki, an ancient code of law in Japan, includes such a wide range of information that it can be considered as an encyclopedia. This will be examined in an interdisciplinary way encompassing the humanities and sciences to create new research perspectives. The results will be published and shared broadly among different disciplines.

In conjunction with the institute-based project of NIJL “Project to Build an International Collaborative Research Network for Pre-modern Japanese Texts,” the project aims to consolidate research results into general educational programs and establish “comprehensive bibliographical studies” as a new academic discipline. Books passed down from ancient times (Japanese pre-modern texts) contain a wealth of information that extends beyond their actual content, including details about paper, ink, and binding. In addition to reading books and learning about Japanese literature, we need to coordinate with other disciplines, analyze books from a more comprehensive standpoint, and reconsider the very meaning of books, so that we can learn more about their potential and unearth knowledge held by our ancestors.