Japanese Book Journey

Author: Yang Shoujing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-03-01
Features: This book belongs to the New Millennium Universal Library series. It was first published in the 10th year of the Guangxu reign (1884) and was highly praised by scholars at the time for its excellence, possessing significant value in both bibliographical and historical studies. This work is a bibliographical version, serving as an effective supplement to the books of the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties in China and serving as a valuable reference for researchers. The Japanese book-hunting activities of officials and scholars sent to Japan during the late Qing Dynasty were a culturally distinctive activity formed under special historical circumstances. It not only involved a large number of people but also successfully acquired a vast number of precious classics in the face of the gradual scarcity of old and rare books in bookstores. Additionally, it promoted the introduction of both new and old works to China, making significant contributions to the return of Chinese cultural classics and the advancement of China's modernization efforts. This book is one of the results of these activities. Based on the bibliography of the Japanese Bibliographical Notes on Ancient Books, the author collected the titles, wrote prefaces for each book, recorded the original circumstances of their acquisition and the sources of their editions, and revised the text. Appendices include prefaces and postfaces, making it a highly refined bibliographical work with a profound influence. Many of the books included are rare works from the Tang, Song, and Song-Yuan periods in China, making significant contributions to the organization of Chinese bibliographical studies and providing more authentic materials for historical research. The book is divided into sixteen volumes, with the Neisuyuan edition as the base. It begins with the author's preface, which explains the origins of the book and its bibliography. Based on the original text, it adds forty-six of the author's postscripts and miscellaneous writings, titled Supplementary Notes on Japanese Book-Hunting, making the book more complete. The book has a strong academic atmosphere and is a work in the field of bibliographical and edition studies in China, suitable for scholars dedicated to the study of ancient Chinese literature.