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Библиотеки, архивы и книжная культура эпохи Эдо
The present article describes the specific role, features and cultural impact of Japanese libraries in the Edo period (1600-1868). Reading books became one of the favourite pastimes of townsmen and people in province. High price of new books resulted in libraries being established in different regions of Japan. The article considers three types of libraries. The first one is a private library of supreme guides of Japan. The second type is Japanese hankō libraries. The third one is lending bookshops which lent books for a fee.
The article gives a description of usage of libraries by shoguns Ieyasu, Iemitsu and Yoshimune. Some features of library functioning, establishment of new governmental post of librarians shomotsu bugyou and some excerpts from their professional library journal-books are analysed.
As it is shown in the article school libraries played the critical role in it. At the same time commercial city libraries were called kashihonya and there were stationary libraries as well as sort of «mobile libraries» which provided special service of shipment books directly to the customers by wandering peddlers. Kashihonya is also described in many literary works of that time, some of them are presented in this paper. The analysis of literature presented in rental bookshops brings the light to many aspects of Japanese life in the Edo period. Libraries in Edo made a significant contribution to its development.
