Collaborative Research
B Basic Research on Takamatsunomiya–ke Denrai Kinribon
| Type of Research | NIHU Joint Research projects |
|---|---|
| Project Title | Trans–disciplinary projects of cultural resources |
| Research Title | B Basic Research on Takamatsunomiya–ke Denrai Kinribon |
| Head of the Research Team | YOSHIOKA Masayuki |
| Research Period | 2005–2008 |
| Research Team |
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| Purpose | During the middle and modern ages, "Kinri" (which has a broader meaning than the inner place ("Dairi") and was the real core location for court nobles ("Kuge")) was the center for arts and the base for cultural propagation to the provinces. Kinri started playing a more significant role after it lost its political power in the Muromachi Era during which the real culture bearers were the people called "Jige" (people in the lower class who did not have the right to sit with the emperor). And their activities were based upon the imperial property preserved in Kinri. These books preserved in Kinri and the libraries of noble families formed the basis of the Kuge culture and at the same time the tool of cultural diffusion. The purpose of this research is to investigate the Kinri and the relevant book collections formed between the last half of Muramchi Era to the first half of the Edo Era. We want to conduct the catalogue research project in order to understand how the book collections were built by investigating the book collections held by the Archives and Mausolea Department of Imperial Household Agency and Higashiyama Gobunko, and the book collections held by the National Museum of Japanese History (hereinafter referred to as "NMJH") which were generated from the original Kinri books. As a result of this research, we are aiming to find how to make effective use of the books and eventually want to make a commitment toward broader research projects in the history and literature of the middle and modern ages. |
2008
Progress
(1) In order to correctly identify the titles of books, we re–examined the book data. We reflected these re–examination results in the cooperative research "General Research on the Kinri Books Passed Down to the Takamatsumiya Family" of the NMJH. This reexamination corresponds to the cataloging which is the purpose of our cooperative research.
(2) During the period from October 26 to 28, 2008, each research member conducted, on an as needed basis, studies of the original books of the Takamatsumiya Family according to his or her research.
Result
(1) The cooperative research "The Basic Research on Kinri Books Passed Down to the Takamatsumiya Family" of the NMJH and the cooperative research projects and investigations conducted in conjunction with the cooperative research "General Research on Kinri Books Passed Down to the Takamatsumiya Family" of the same museum conducted over the last two years have made a significant contribution to the editing and publishing of the catalogue by the global investigation of all the books, collections and re–examination of book data.
(2) It is worthy to note that the research on Kinri books has had great progress thanks to the studies made for three years of the Higashiyama Bunko.
(3) We summed up the research results and published the book "Kinri Books and Studies on Classics" (published by Hanawashobo co., ltd, March 2009).
2007
Progress
(1) Book data: In order to identify correctly the title of each book, we studied the book data in conjunction with the cooperative research "Basic Research of the Kinri Books Passed Down to the Takamatsumiya Family" of the NMJH. This identification corresponds to the cataloging which is the purpose of our cooperative research.
(2) We held the first workshop on June 27, 2007. We had a presentation from each member and discussed how to proceed the cataloging stated in paragraph (1). A Second workshop was held on December 19. Each writer made a presentation on what he or she will write in the "Second Research Report" and discussed the presentations.
(3) We conducted an investigation of Higashiyama Bunko on October 29 and 30 this year. And each member conducted, on an as–needed basis, an investigation of the original books of the Takamatsumiya Family according his or her research purpose.
Result
It is worth note that the cooperative investigation and research in conjunction with the NMJH on the all books of the Takamatsumiya Family and the investigation of Higashiyama Bunko have made great progress since last year.
2005
Progress
A part of the Kinri books generated from the books copied and collected by Emperors Go–Sai and Reigen had been passed down from the Arisugawamiya Family to the Takamatsumiya Family, and consequently held by the NMJH since 1987. The number of the books amounts to 1671 now. Simple catalogues were made by numbering each box of books when they had been possessed by the Arisugawamiya and Takamatsumiya Families and we still use such catalogues. During the possession by the Takamatsumiya Family, the National Institute of Japanese Literature and the Archives and Mausolea Department of Imperial Household Agency recorded them on microfilm, but only 30 to 70 % of all the books. The NMJH made photo albums and exhibited them but they contain only the half of the whole collection. As an overall investigation has never been conducted and many of the items were not registered in the Union Catalogue of Japanese Books, they were not efficiently used even though they are qualified.
Ihara and Ogawa participated in the cooperative research project "Basic Research of the Kinri Books Passed Down to the Takamatsumiya Family" (conducted from 2003 to 2008, participated in by Masayuki Yoshioka, the Head of the Research Team and the others) hosted by the NMJH and they still continue researching the Kinri books passed down to the Takamatsumiya Familay and gathering book data. Our final goal is to complete the (tentatively named) "Catalogue of Kinri Books Passed Down to the Takamatsumiya Family" and we are carefully firming up the research base at this time. This research will be conducted in conjunction with and complementary to the investigation of the Kinri books passed down to the Takamatsumiya Familay and cataloging which are now in progress.
