Japan

TOKYO'S CHRISTIAN COLLECTION
Information Bureau was established at the Catholic University of Tokyo in 1931 for the purpose of providing information, instruction and study material to those wishing to learn about the doctrine of the Church. During the five years of its existence it has made a complete collection of Catholic Japanese literature and has gathered many precious documents relating to the history of the Church in Japan.
By 1933 the bureau had a practically complete collection of all the Catholic literature published in Japan since the country was reopened to missionaries. This collection was displayed in a public exhibition.
In 1933 work was begun on the gathering of documents and scientific publications concerning the old missions of Japan. Anti-Christian writings of the times were also collected. The collection now possesses a number of precious Christian objects of historical value, which form the nucleus of a museum of the Church in Japan. The Rev. John Laures, S.J., professor at the Catholic University and director of the collection, is visiting Peking to search for material in the old archives of the Jesuit Fathers which are still preserved there and contain documents concerning the ancient Japanese missions.
The collection already comprises 3,000 volumes, of which 500 are valuable ancient works in European languages and 100 more are old Japanese writings. Additions are being made constantly, and it is hoped that in a few years it will be possible to found a Scientific Institute of Mission History in Japan. Several students are being prepared for this work.
The " Kirishitan Bunko " (Christian Collection), as it is called, continues to carry on the work for which it was founded, with very satisfactory, results.