UNC has a moderately sized Japanese collection due in part to the long-standing cooperative collection alliance with Duke University. Our acquisition focuses on titles relating to language and undergraduate student instruction. The collection also includes selective works in Japanese literature (including English translations of Japanese literary works), and Japanese history, as well as Japanese publications related to sinology for important subjects such as geography, art, architecture, performing arts, and Zen Buddhism.
UNC hired its first tenure track faculty in Japanese language and literature in the mid-1990s and established a graduate program in Global History in 2005. To support active research projects on the history of Japanese economic policies, the collection brought in the first research title, Shōda Kazue monjo 「勝田主計文書」, with partial support from the NCC MVS project grant. This 80-reel microform contains the personal papers of a prominent and influential Japanese economic official active during the early 20th century.
In 2007 UNC History Department approved a doctoral field in Asian History. Subsequently, materials from the Tokugawa (1603-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods were added to our collections to support Japanese faculty's research projects.
Primary source materials from the Tokugawa period include:
Primary source materials from the Meiji period include:
Japanese literature collections include:
UNC also jointly subscribes with Duke University to JapanKnowlegde database which contains core reference materials in both Japanese and English languages.