THE FIRST JAPANESE LIBRARY in historical literature appears at the beginning of the eighth century, when the Japanese government established a library called Zushory6.1 Following that time Japan has had libraries established and owned by noblemen and priests, as well as by some feudal lords. During the period from 1639 to 1862 the country closed its doors to all foreign countries according to the policy of the Tokugawa shogunate, and international cultural exchanges were entirely suspended. Toward the end of this period the merchant class gradually developed into a more influential body in society and began to own private collections of printed materials. It was in 1868 that the Meiji revolution took place, and the Tokugawas restored the reins of government to the emperor. At that time Japan abandoned her closed door policy and moved swiftly toward complete modernization. Many governmental officials, scholars, and students were sent to Western countries, including the United States, where they learned library practices. 2 Some of them, upon their return, urged the establishment of free public libraries. Meantime, the Meiji government took over the libraries of the Tokugawa shogunate, put an education law into effect, and provided a basis for libraries in schools of higher education. In 1872 the Shojakukan, the first public library, was opened in Tokyo under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. In the following years, universities were established, and their de-