The primitive form of public libraries in Japan is so called “Shoseki-Kan” (a book building), which was established in the main cities by their prefectural goverments from 1872 to 1885. But they were only a poor imitation of libraries in Europe. The library movement which was realized was begun by the “Kyoikukai”, teachers’ organization, in the 1890’s. It reached the peak about 1910. Libraries which resemble subscription libraries in Europe, continued to exist at a very few cities for a very short period since 1800. Many private libraries were founded by parasitic landlords, rich aristocrats, temples, shrines and the bourgeoisie. But there were very few libraries which did not need any public subsidization.
Since 1900 the popularization of libraries had been fairly under way, in progressive prefectures the plans of popularizing libraries were put in action. The typical prefectures were Akita, Yamaguchi and Tokyo, and especially the plans of popularizing the libraries of Yamaguchi Prefecture have become to be introduced in various prefectures.
From 1910 to 1930 the established numbers of public libraries amounted to surprisingly high, because both central and prefectural officers strongly advocated the establishment of libraries, but almost all libraries were extremely poor both in equipment and in management and their qualitative improvement has made slow progress. Already about 1925 both librarians and officers expressed serious dissatisfaction against the situation of libraries and insisted to take up a drastic measure to improve the conditions.

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As a method of understanding the quantitative determination of library phenomena, there is a method of estimating the published stasistic date about libraries.
“Nippon no Toshokan, 1956” was used asa material for comparison of the policy of library management. The Index was classified as follows: A) Outside Condition, B) Scales of Library, C) Kinds of Policy, and D) Number of Users. The author must decide by means of the operative object of materials, of which the above-mentioned four kinds of indices are selected as characteristics. So D was decided as characteristics to get utilization of library and A, B, and C were operated as cause groups to D. Thus “ralation” and “mutual dependance” among the indices of groups classified by cause groups were pointed out and similarity and distinction among them were studied, that is to say, a scale of library and characteristics were used as two variables, and were grouped into two by the policy of the library management and then their “Rectilinear Equation” based on “Method of Least Squares” compared. (This model is the case in Tokyo.)

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The American Educational System was adopted and practiced by Japanese universities and since 1948 many junior colleges and universities have been established and in 1958 amounted to 503 in number.
In order to study the library development for these ten years the statistics of Education Ministry as well as the report on the research of the actual condition of libraries done by the Private Universtiy Library Association both in 1951 and 1956, are available, which, however, are not satisfactory, because the former is insufficient, and the latter is not systematic. This is explained in the statistics which I published in 1959 about private university libraries on the bullitin of both Japan Private University Association and the Japan Private Junior College Association.
The best way to study the history of Japanese university librariee for ten years after the War is, I think, to find factors, taking “Item to improve private university libraries” and “Provisions to establish university” in joint consideration.

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In this paper are considered generally the characteristics of books in the 19th century. As compared with the anterior centuries, books in the 19th century lost the artistic beauty, but inversely obtained the popularity and increased the effect of mass communication. After the French Revolution and the industrial revolution the power of French peaple developed largely in the all branches of culture, politics and economy. The development of Roman or popular literature formed the great readers of new century. The improvement of typography and printing-machine helped the large diffusion of publications and changed the aspect of books. And, by the illustration the excellent artists: Delacroix, Daumier, etc. produced the numerous works that no one is inferior to the anterior centuries. In concequence of these matters the books of the 19th century penetrated in the masses and obtained the new characteristics.

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The Book of Filial Duty was written by Confucius about 3000 years ago in China and through the Book he taught the filial duty to the people. This book was introduced to Japan long ago.
Now about 38 kinds of copies which were copied for 350 years from 1250 to 1600, were remained.
About 1600 the book was begun to be put into print. The first stage of printing was the type-printing. But the copies of that type were lost except one or two. The type-printing had continued only for a short period of half century. Another type of printing was begun to be made from a wood block. Tens and hundreds of copies of that printing remain still now.
These copies were divided into five types. In China only one kind of them was transmitted while four others were lost. But in Japan all of them were handed down and conversely in the later time they were exported to China from Japan.
Since 3000 years ago this Book of Filial Duty was written both in ancient type of letters (i.e. classical type of letters) and in modern ones. Both copies were written about 1850 letters in number. Morality in Japan has been influenced by this Book from thousands of years ago. In the olden times the kings and the emperors of both China and Japan had used to command the people to have at least one copy of the Book in a family.

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