Kumagusu Minakata's experience at first hand in the British Museum

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to think of Kumagusu Minakata's experience at first hand in the British Museum, what did mean for the development of the libraries in Japan by his experience.
In the 20th year of Meiji, he went over to Ameriac. He was apploied to the business college for admission at that place. Shortly after he left the business college owing to personal circumstances. He studied by himself in the libraries according to his preference for five years.
Thereafter he went over to England. He lived in lodging low rent. He studied by himself in the museums and libraries in common with american life. He published the results, “The constellations of the far east”, of his research work in a weekly science magazine “Nature”. His work was favorably commented popularly. As for that, he could take a chance to work at the British Museum. The British Museum is a vast treasure-house of knowledge for him, he made efficient use of materials very widely. He was dismissed the British Museum becaused of using of his 2th violence behavior.
Of that days, he often act as a guide for influental Japanese, for example Yorimichi Tokugawa, to the British Museum. He did not publish the results of his research about a library science in all his life, but he learned library science from the British Museum as a modernizing library. He had most knowledge of libraries, Kumagusu imparted knowledge of his experience at his first hand to Yorimichi Tokugawa.
Yorimichi Tokugawa tried every means in his power for development growth of the libraries, as a beginner the Nanki Library and a governor the Japan Libraries Association, being affected by Kumagus Minakata's influence.
Kumagusu Minakata's experience at his first hand in the British Museum contributed to development growth of the libraries by the medium Yorimichi Tokugawa.
This article intend to publish the Kumagusu Minakata's experience, How he gained the knowledge, what he said the libraries.