Japan’s Book Donation to the University of Louvain: Japanese Cultural Identity and Modernity in the 1920s

With more than 3,000 titles in almost 14,000 volumes, the 1920s Japanese book donation to the University of Leuven/Louvain is an invaluable time capsule of near-forgotten pre-modern culture and knowledge in Japan. This book combines an attractively illustrated overview of the history of the donation, thus giving the reader fascinating insights into the vibrant 1920s in Japan, its politics, society, and popular culture, with detailed descriptions of a careful selection of 100 pre-modern Japanese books.

This book offers a collection of cutting-edge academic essays and a wealth of high-quality reproductions of astonishing exhibits such as visually captivating commercial and political 1920s posters that represent progress and conflict, highlighting both Imperial ambitions and a willingness to contribute to international cooperation.

Contributors: Willy Vande Walle (KU Leuven), Jan Schmidt (KU Leuven), Freya Terryn (KU Leuven), Aurel Baele (KU Leuven), Lieven Sommen (KU Leuven), Eline Mennens (KU Leuven)