Yokohama City University Establishes the Largest Collection of Corporate Histories in Japan

Accounting Historians Notebook

Volume 37 Number 2 October 2014 Article 4

October 2014

YOKOHAMA CITY UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF CORPORATE HISTORIES IN JAPAN

Fuminobu Mizutani Kanto

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Recommended Citation Kanto, Fuminobu Mizutani (2014) "YOKOHAMA CITY UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF CORPORATE HISTORIES IN JAPAN," Accounting Historians Notebook: Vol. 37 : No. 2 , Article 4. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aah_notebook/vol37/iss2/4

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Archival Digital Accounting Collection at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Accounting Historians Notebook by an authorized editor of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Kanto: YOKOHAMA CITY UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF CORPORATE HISTORIES IN JAPAN YOKOHAMA CITY UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF CORPORATE HISTORIES IN JAPAN

By Fuminobu Mizutani Kanto Gakuin University September 16, 2014 The Largest Collection in Japan majority of these materials are not corpo- Nagao Bunko at Ryukoku University in rate histories and includes other materials. Kyoto Prefecture has been known in Japan Nagao Bunko only possesses fewer than as having a large collection of corporate 7,000 corporate histories (CCP, 2012). On histories. The University of Tsukuba Li- other hand, most of the material in the Cor- brary comments that, “the Nagao Bunko in ner of Corporate and Organizational Histo- the Fukakusa Library at Ryukoku Univer- ries are corporate or organizational histo- sity holds the largest collection of corporate ries. and organizational histories in Ja- pan” (UTL, 2008). The University of Tsu- The Corner of Corporate and Organiza- kuba is an authoritative Japanese univer- tional Histories is open to the public and sity. In actuality however, as of 2014, the researchers may not reserve to use its mate- largest collection of corporate histories in rials. Nagao Bunko is not open access and Japan is not Nagao Bunko, but the collec- researchers must reserve materials if they tion named the Corner of Corporate and wish to use them. Yokohama City Univer- Organizational Histories in Yokohama City sity has permitted the use of the Corner of University Library & Information Center. Corporate and Organizational Histories and Yokohama City University is located in of course, foreign researchers are also free Kanagawa Prefecture. The Nikkei, the most to use this corner. The Corner of Corporate popular economic newspaper in Japan, had and Organizational Histories is more con- venient for researchers than Nagao Bunko. not covered the establishment of this corner by the 2014 AAA meeting. Foreign researchers can reach Yokohama

Yokohama City University established the City University Library & Information Corner of Corporate and Organizational Center from Haneda Airport by taking the Histories on October 1, 2013. The Corner Keikyu Line to Kanazawa Hakkei Station of Corporate and Organizational Histories and then walking several minutes. The holds 18,000 pieces of literature and this collection at the Corner of Corporate and collection is thought to be the largest cor- Organizational Histories is recommended porate collection in Japan at present. Yoko- for researchers who are able to read Japa- nese. hama City University Library & Informa- tion Center is promoting this collection, Another Collection in Kanagawa indicating that financial data is also in- The collection that is possibly the second cluded in this collection (YCULIC, 2013). largest collection of corporate histories in The Corner of Corporate and Organiza- Japan is also in Kanagawa Prefecture. This tional Histories is a useful collection for collection is in the Kanagawa Prefectural accounting historians. Kawasaki Library and the name of this

Nagao Bunko possesses slightly fewer than collection is the Special Collection of Cor- 18,000 pieces of material, however, the porate, Employer Organization, and Labor (Continued on page 21)

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(Continued from page 20) location than Kyoto Prefecture for re- Union Histories. This collection is in prin- searchers who are looking for Japanese ciple open to all and researchers do not corporate history because the largest and need to make reservations to use this col- second largest collections of corporate his- lection. If researchers would like to go to tories are in Kawasaki City. the Kanagawa Prefectural Library after using the Corner of Corporate and Organ- Not-for-Profit Organizational Histories izational History, they should ride the Kei- The Corner of Corporate and Organiza- kyu Line from Kanazawa Hakkei Station to tional History possesses more not-for-profit Kawasaki Station, and then take the Kawa- organization histories than Nagao Bunko saki City Bus. Because Yokohama City and the Special Collection of Corporate, University and the Kanagawa Prefectural Employer Organization, and Labor Union Kawasaki Library are located near each Histories. Some not-for-profit organization other, it is recommended that foreign re- histories in the Corner of Corporate and searchers who come to Japan in order to Organizational History are rare and have use the Corner of Corporate and Organiza- never been for sale. Researchers can easily tional History also go to the Kanagawa find not-for-profit organization histories by Prefectural Library in order to use the Spe- looking for the “377 Universities and Other cial Collection of Corporate, Employer Higher Education Institutes”, “061 Aca- Organization, and Labor Union Histories. demic or Research Institutes”, and “490 Medical Sciences” tags. There is also ac- The Special Collection of Corporate, Em- counting-related literature in each of the ployer Organization, and Labor Union tabs above. holds approximately 16,000 pieces of literature. Most of this collection is corpo- The Corner of Corporate and Organiza- rate histories. It seemed that the Special tional History also holds histories of private Collection of Corporate, Employer Organi- hospitals. This corner is recommended for zation, and Labor Union was the largest researchers who are researching Japanese collection of corporate histories in Japan not-for-profit accounting, even if they are until Yokohama City University estab- not accounting historians, considering that lished the Corner of Corporate and Organ- Japanese private hospitals seldom publish their accounting information. izational Histories. The above comments regarding Nagao Bunko by the University A librarian at the Kanagawa Prefectural of Tsukuba Library were written in 2008 Kawasaki Library told me that the library and these comments were incorrect, even in basically only collects literature related to 2008. Kanagawa Prefectural Kawasaki profit-oriented entities as part of the Spe- Library has supposing that Special Collec- cial Collection of Corporate, Employer tion of Corporate, Employer Organization, Organization, and Labor Union Histories. and Labor Union Histories was the largest In actuality, the majority of the collection is collection of corporate histories in eastern literature related to profit-oriented entities, Japan and Nagao Bunko was the largest though there are a number of items of lit- collection of corporate histories in western erature regarding not-for-profit organiza- Japan just before Yokohama City Univer- tions also in the collection. Nagao Bunko sity established the Corner of Corporate also has an online catalog called the Nagao and Organizational Histories (DSIKPKL, Bunko Web Catalogue. There catalog con- 2013). Thus, it is considered that Corner of tains various industry categories and also Corporate and Organizational Histories includes certain types of government or- newly became the largest collection of cor- ganizations as categories. However, Nagao porate histories in Japan. Bunko holds almost no not-for-profit histo- Kanagawa prefecture is a more relevant (Continued on page 22)

The Accounting Historians Notebook, October 2014 21 https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aah_notebook/vol37/iss2/4 2 Kanto: YOKOHAMA CITY UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF CORPORATE HISTORIES IN JAPAN

(Continued from page 21) numerous not-for-profit organization histories, and categories for the not-for-profit ries, considering that the Japanese not-for- organizations themselves do not exist in profit sector is much duller than the U.S. this catalog (RUL, 2014). Corner of Corporate and Organizational History. The corner is especially useful for It is remarkable fact that the Corner of Cor- researching Japanese not-for-profit ac- porate and Organizational History holds counting history.

REFERENCES Cross Culture Publishing (2012). We Open a New Page for Researching Colonial Economic His- tory! (flyer) (Japanese). Department of Science Information in Kanagawa Prefectural Kawasaki Library (2013). Let’s Go to Nagao Bunko, The Western Yokoduna, in Ryukoku University. Sharaku, No. 13 (Japanese). Ryukoku University Library (2014). Nagao Bunko Web Catalogue, retrieved from http://rwave.lib.ryukoku.ac.jp/opac/nagao/opac_nagao.cgi (Japanese). University of Tsukuba Library (2008). Corporate and Organizational Histories, retrieved from http://www.tulips.tsukuba.ac.jp/portal_renew/reference/company-history.html (Japanese). Yokohama City University Library & Information Center (2013). The Library has Established a Corner Specializing in “Corporate and Organizational Histories”: This Corner Holds 18,000 Pieces of Literatures and is one of Largest Collections in Japan (Japanese).

RG Klein Stock Market Museum and Library Massillon, Ohio Rodney G. Klein was an entrepreneur, collector, educator and historian. Born in Massillon, Ohio, and educated at Western Reserve University, Dartmouth College, Columbia University and the University of Califor- nia, he developed a great entrepreneurial spirit. He founded several real estate companies and taught courses in finance and the stock market at UCLA. After he retired from all active businesses in 1974, he began to travel the world in search of all things related to the market. That in- cluded books, art, games, movies and movie posters, ticker tape ma- chines, and stock exchange paraphernalia. In 2006, he purchased a vacant federal post office building in Massillon, Ohio, to house his collection. He had great plans for developing a stock market museum and library. Unfortunately, Rodney passed away in 2009 before he was able to see his dream become a reality. The museum, a 501(c)(3), is be- ing developed by a seven member board which is in the process of cataloging the 20,000 books, art collection and stock market artifacts. To view their progress or make an inquiry, go to rgkleinmuseum.org.

Federal Post Office Building circa 1913 Federal Post Office Building in 2014

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