Libraries

Rare Books and Special Collections

1	Collection of legal dissertations between the 16th to 18th century formerly owned by the University of Rostock (Juristische Dissertationen, Disputationen, Programme und andere Hochschulschriften im Zeitraum von 1600 bis 1800 aus den Beständen der Universität Rostock)	A total of 12,500 volumes of legal dissertations collected by the library of the University of Rostock in northern Germany. The collection consists of dissertations, records of discussions for the acquisition of degrees, study and practice materials, lecture drafts, and all the records up to the evaluation. The collection includes documents that cover legal science, political history, social history, and university education, many of which are from the University of Jena and the University of Leipzig. The collection encompasses the protestant countries of the time.
2	Juristische Dissertationen und Disputationen im 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts: Sammlung der Bibliothek des Reichsgerichts: Collection of dissertations from the 17th to 18th century formerly owned by the Reich Supreme Court Library	3,522 volumes of dissertations between 1665 and 1724 collected by the Reich Supreme Court Library, the most authoritative library in Imperial Germany. The contents covering a wide range of laws and regulations are mainly the dissertations from the University of Jena and Wittenberg University. They were essential sources of information judgements were made at the court.
3	Collection related to modern German law and Italian law	This is a collection of researches specialized in German law and Italian law with a focus on local history between the 16th and 20th century. Half of the 588 items (808 volumes) is from the 19th century and one third from the 20th century. Despite the volumes in the earlier times are relatively small in number, the collection embodies regional laws, judgment records, and a variety of literature from independent theses to practical manuals.
4	Rare books related to Roman law (Haruki Collection)	"Ciuilis historae Iuris, siue in XII. Tab. Leges comentarioru libri quinq: historia item iuris pont. Liber Singularis," "Promptvarivm ivris," Corpus iuris civilis: The code of civil law," "Corpus Iuris Civilis", "Fontes quatuor juris civilis in unum collecti," etc. Chuo University Library houses 1,776 volumes concerning Roman law formerly owned by Dr. Ichiro Haruki (1870- 1944) who established research activities in Roman law in Japan and conducted classes at Chuo University.
5	Lexicon collection of European law	This is a collection consisting of 86 titles of law encyclopedias compiled in various parts of Europe over a period of more than 300 years, from the 16th to the mid-19th century. “It contains most of the titles essential to the history of law encyclopedias," (Dr. Rolf Knütel, Professor Emeritus, University of Bonn). The collection includes a book published in 1513 (half leather-bound, half wood-bound) and five other titles printed in the late incunabula.
6	Rare books related to accounting and bookkeeping	Twelve rare books such as "Specchio Lucidissimo" by Alvise Casanova (16th century) published in 1558 and rare book keeping-related item of Scotland. Additional 146 volumes of antiquarian books of bookkeeping and accounting, published in the U.S. and Europe between the 17th and early 20th century, fill the temporal gap between the time of Casanova and modern times.
7	Collection of manuscripts formerly owned by the Boulainvilliers family	All the 28 volumes of manuscripts by Comte Henri de Boulainvilliers (1658-1722), a French historian of legal systems and philosopher. They are valuable documents that help us learn about the absolute monarchism before the establishment of the philosophy of the enlightenment in France.
8	"The Capital: a critique of political economy" by Karl Heinrich Marx, the first editions published in various countries	First edition of "the Captal: a critique of political economy" in German, French and English version by Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883).
9	First edition British classical economics books	Containing the first editions of "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith (1723-1790): "An Essay on the Principle of Population " and “Principles of Political Economy” by Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834): "On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation" by David Ricardo (1772-1823): "Elements of Political Economy" by James Mill (1773-1836): "Principles of Political Economy" by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).
10	Collection of Bernard Mandeville's original writings, including the first version, and research papers about himself	Almost all the editions of the "Fable of the Bees" written by Bernard Mandeville (1670-1733), a writer in the 18th century England as well as his other major writings and literature related to "Arguments over the Fable of the Bees" are also included. In "Fable of the Bees," Mandeville criticized society and the ideas of the time when modern society developed. Throughout the collection, Mandeville's full scope of his ideas and his position in the history of ideas are well noted.
11	Collection of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft	This is a collection consisting of 123 pieces including the complete works of the English anarchist William Godwin (1756-1836) and his wife Mary Wollstonecraft who "first systematized the idea of women's liberation in history" (Atsushi Shirai, Professor Emeritus, Keio University). It also includes revisions of those works, as well as autograph letters, portraits, and various research books. This is the finest collection in Japan of the two thinkers who wrote “Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness” (Godwin, 1793), and “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (Wollstonecraft, 1792) in England during the French Revolution and who had a profound influence on later generations both in their writings and in their personal lives.
12	Collection related to David Hume	Collection related to David Hume (1711-1776) is the main figure among the empiricist philosophers of Britain. Every edition of all his writings published before his death is available in this collection. Moreover, there are 301 items that include, among others, twenty handwritten letters of Hume and two notes by contemporaries. Also included are writings of over 150 thinkers that are essential for the study of the arguments over ideas made in the mid 17th to 18th century England.
13	Collection of the writings of Jeremy Bentham	A collection of writings of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), an English jurist, philosopher, and a leading theorist of the utilitarian reform movement. A total of 110 items, mainly consisting of books formerly owned by Sir Francis Burdett, a member of the House of Commons of England, and Edward Livingston, an American politician.
14	Collection of books formerly owned by Professor Otto Brunner	Part of the books formerly owned by Otto Brunner (1898- 1982), a prominent medieval historian of the twentieth century. A total of 4,222 items that mainly include history- related books covering every area of social science, although one third of those are rare books.
15	Thomas Hardy collection	First edition books,the magazine his article first appeared in, letters, original portraits, etc. of Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), an English novelist and poet. A total of 342 items collected by Dr. James Gibson, a famous English Hardy scholar.
16	Collection of publications printed by the Kelmscott Press	Books produced and published using Kelmscott Press, a private press of William Morris (1834-1896), an English poet, writer, artist, craftsman, socialist, and a public torchbearer. It can be said that the 53 titles produced before his death and 44 after his death are works of art.
17	Collection related to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and John Ruskin	This collection consists of approximately 200 books and other materials including major books written by John Ruskin (1819-1900), an English art critic and social thinker who represented the Victorian era, as well as other books and materials related to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an art innovation movement that he thoroughly supported. In relation to Ruskin, the collection holds most of his major works, including the second edition of his 1844 masterpiece "Modern Painters" (the rebinding of the first edition with the print arts matching the text) and the first edition of "The Seven Lamps of Architecture" (1849). There is a well-balanced collection of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood works, but among them, the works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), the leader of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) who was at the center of the late Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood are particularly well-stocked.
18	Collection of minor literary magazines	This collection consists of a total of 156 titles of somewhat minor literary magazines published in 19th century England. Many of the titles in this collection were published in regional cities outside of London (Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, York, etc.), and were relatively short-lived. As for Japan, many of the collection are only owned by Chuo University Library, and 44 titles are even not held in the British Library. The magazines contain a large number of artworks by George Cruikshank (1792-1878) and Hablot Knight Browne (pen name Phiz) (1815-1882), who were famous illustrators for Charles Dickens, as well as Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) and other leading illustrators of the period, making this collection an extremely interesting piece.
19	Collection of 18th-19th century England caricature and other illustrations	Caricature is an ironic illustration of the politics, society, people, and customs of the same period. In England, caricature was first established by William Hogarth, who appeared in the early 18th century, and reached its peak by James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson, George Cruikshank and others. Later in the 19th century, as publishing media expanded to include newspapers, magazines, novels, and children's books, and the style of "books with illustrations” became the mainstream, the golden age of illustrations came in the second half of the 19th century. Chuo University Library has 108 works (books with illustrations, print art collection books, etc.) by Hogarth and nine other leading British caricaturists and illustrators of the 18th and 19th centuries, making it one of the best collections in Japan.
20	Collection related to the Great Exhibition (1851)	From the late 18th century, developed countries in Europe and America held expositions in their own countries to demonstrate the latest achievements in industry, science, technology, and culture. The first full-scale international exposition was the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851. Considering the transportation conditions of the time, the Exhibition was a tremendous success and became the model for all subsequent world expositions. Chuo University Library has 24 books in 15 titles related to the Great Exhibition, including art books, official records, and catalogs of exhibits, making it one of the best collections in Japan.
21	法理精華(Hori Seika: a law school journal)	The journal of the Igirisu Law School founded in the 18th year of Meiji (1885), which is the predecessor of the current journal titled "Hogaku Shimpo." A complete collection from Volume 1 Issue 1, (launched in January, 1889 (the 22nd year of Meiji), to Volume 7 Issue 38 published on July 15, 1890 (the 23rd year of Meiji), which become the last issue. The publication was banned due to a dispute with the government over the corpus of civil law. It should be noted that this is the first item designated as a rare book by Chuo University Library.
22	Collection related to Hasegawa Nyozekan	Letters, manuscripts, photos, etc. of Nyozekan Hasegawa, a graduate of Tokyo Hogakuin (predecessor of Chuo University) active as a journalist and a person of letters between the Meiji period and the 40s of Showa (1965-74) period. The collection includes 550 items, mainly those formerly owned by Ms.Sachiko Yamamoto, his niece, and Mr. Shinzo Kaji, an economist and higher-ranked disciple of Hasegawa. The collection also includes 2,411 Japanese style books formerly owned by Mr. Shogetsu Yamamoto.
23	Introductory books of elementary education popularly used by the general public in Korea presented by Dr. Manabu Watanabe	Textbooks used introductory books of elementary education in Korea. The collection was donated by Dr. Manabu Watanabe, a professor emeritus of Musashi University. There are 198 items, consisting of wood print, type print, and manuscript books, some of which were imported from China while others were published by evading the monitoring of the government-general of Korea.
25	Japanese medieval books	"Kokyaku Honsengaeshi Den no Koto," "Iganokuni Sansho Ichido Moushijo," "Ashikaga Nidai Shogun Yoshiakira Kanjo: Letter of commendation by Ashikaga Yoshiakira, the second Ashikaga shogun)," "Otomo Sorin Shojo: Letter by Otomo Sorin," "Toyotomi Hideyoshi Shojo: Letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi", "Niiro Musashinokami Tadamoto Jihitsu Shojo: Letter handwritten by Niiro Musashinokami Tadamoto," "Taiko Kenchicho: Taiko Hideyoshi's cadastral survey records," "Toyotomi Hideyoshi Shuinjo: vermillion-sealed permit by Toyotomi Hideyoshi."
26	Japenese modern books	The collection includes a variety of documents such as "Goshuinjo: vermillion-sealed permit" and other control- related documents, Murakata (villagers)- and Machikata (townsmen)-related documents, etc., which have been collected with a focus on the relation to the history of the legal system. There are 852 items of the mid and later Edo period, and 79 items of the early Meiji period.