University of Tokyo Library


The University of Tokyo Library is a term used to refer to the University of Tokyo Library System, which consists of three comprehensive libraries located in each of the university's main campuses, and 27 field-specific libraries affiliated with faculties and institutes within UTokyo. As of March 2024, the UTokyo Library System owns a collection of over 10 million books and numerous materials of historical or scientific values, making it the second largest library in Japan. It is only surpassed by the National Diet Library, which stores approximately 12.11 million books.

Comprehensive Libraries

General Library (Hongo)

The General Library officially opened when UTokyo's predecessor institutions were reorganised to form UTokyo, the nation's first university, on 12 April 1877. However, its roots can be traced back to Edo-era libraries, such as the Bansho Shirabesho. It was relocated to its current location at Hongo in August 1884. Soseki Natsume's novel Sanshiro provides a detailed description of the library around this time.
On 1 September 1923, the original building was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake, along with 750 thousand books from its collections. This loss included over 20 thousand books from Friedrich Max Müller's collections and Takizawa Bakin's handwritten scripts. The library's reconstruction was greatly supported by donations from abroad, the most notable of which was $2 million from John D. Rockefeller.
This building completed in 1928 is still in use, and it also serves as the headquarters for the whole of the UTokyo Library System.
A major renovation was completed in the late 2010s, and it now features a 46-metre-deep automatic underground storage capable of housing 3 million books.
The General Library is open to faculty members, students, auditors, members of staff, and others who have been approved by the director. Former faculty members, members of staff, and alumni are also allowed access.
ILL service provides access to the holding of the General Library through interlibrary loan of original material. Loan service is available to university libraries in Japan.

Komaba Library

The current Komaba Library, opened in 2002, serves as the successor to the former building, which had become too small for its growing collections. It functions as the main library for the College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba, catering to the general education of all first-year undergraduate students, as well as second to fourth-year students who decided to study there instead of moving to Hongo for specialised education.
The library features a diverse range of learning materials, particularly for subjects such as Linear Algebra and Calculus, which are mandatory for all natural science undergraduates in their first year.

Kashiwa Library

Opened in 2004, Kashiwa Library is a library devoted to the natural sciences. All the books in Kashiwa Library can be searched on OPAC.
Faculty members, graduate students, undergraduate students, auditors, others who have requested use from outside the university, and others who have been approved by the director can use the Kashiwa Library.

Field-Specific Libraries

Apart from the three comprehensive libraries, the UTokyo Library System includes 27 field-specific libraries.

Hongo

Yayoi

Komaba

Kashiwa

Major Collections

The UTokyo Library houses many collections. Some collections are searchable through OPAC, though most are available only through card catalogue.
  • Akiba Collection: Collector: Akiba, Yoshimi. Content: Shibai Banzuke during the Empo-Meiji eras. 16,831 volumes.
  • Katei Collection: Collector: Watanabe, Katei Content: Japanese fictions in the Edo period. 1,851 volumes.
  • Nanki Collection: Collector: Tokugawa, Yorimichi Content: Collection of Tokugawa, the feudal lord of Kii Province. 96,000 volumes.
  • Ogai Collection: Collector: Mori, Ogai. Content: Biographical or historical books, Bukan, old maps in the Edo period, European literature. 18,700 volumes.
  • Seishu Collection: Collector: Watanabe, Makoto. Content: Chinese classics and Japanese literature. 25,000 volumes.
  • Material of the Society of National Policy: Collector: Minobe, Yoji. Content: Literature on politics and economic policy during the World War II. 6,624 volumes.

    ILL Service for Non-University Members

Inter-library loan & delivery service between libraries in the campuses is available for researchers as teachers and graduates.

Online Resources

Online Catalogs

  • OPAC / Multilingual OPAC
  • Book Contents Database
The Book Contents Database allows you to search for books held in the libraries of the University of Tokyo by looking at their tables of contents or information taken from their summaries and dust jackets. This gives you access to the actual content of the books, which was previously unavailable through the conventional OPAC system. Approximately 229,820 volumes of books/materials held by the University of Tokyo can be searched.
  • Doctoral Dissertation Database
The database of bibliographies and abstracts of dissertations/theses, which were granted by the University of Tokyo. The database includes bibliographies from 1957, and abstracts after 1994. Guide to the locations of dissertations is also displayed.
  • Database of newspapers available at the University of Tokyo
Search for newspapers held in the University of Tokyo libraries.

Faculty/Institution Library's Online Catalogs

General library

  • List of Microforms held at the General Library
  • Database of the Tibetan Tripitaka Card Catalog
  • Catalog of Classical Chinese Books
  • Institute of Oriental Culture
  • Catalogue of Classical Chinese Books in the IOC
  • The Digital library of Classical Chinese Books
  • Historiographical Institute
  • - Historiographical Institute Historical Documents Catalog