A Unique Collection of a Scholar Who Explored the Act of "Writing Characters"

The "Century Akao Collection," donated to Keio University by the Century Cultural Foundation in 2021, includes works with records bearing the name "Kohitsugaku Kenkyujo" (Institute of Kohitsugaku). Examples include a vivid vermilion "Tsuishu Kamon Suzuribako" (Inkstone case with carved lacquer flower design) and a "Kodou Suiteki" (Ancient bronze water dropper) decorated with colorful cloisonné (both pictured center right). The Kohitsugaku Kenkyujo was a research institute founded by the Kohitsugaku scholar Shigemi Komatsu (1925–2010). Using this as his base, Komatsu established and explored "Kohitsugaku" (the study of ancient calligraphy), crossing the fields of calligraphy history, history, Japanese literature, and art history.

Shigemi Komatsu was born in Yamaguchi Prefecture. After graduating from a middle school under the old system, he initially worked for the Hiroshima Railway Bureau. He was a scholar with a unique career path; inspired by an encounter with the "Heike Nokyo" (Lotus Sutra dedicated by the Taira family), he decided to pursue academia, moved to Tokyo, and became a researcher at the Tokyo National Museum. Even after retiring from the Tokyo National Museum, Komatsu served as a lecturer at various universities and devoted his passion to the research and popularization of Kohitsugaku through the publication of the 30-volume "Kohitsugaku Taisei" (1989–93). He was also deeply involved in the activities of the Century Cultural Foundation, which collects materials related to linguistic culture.

Due to this background, the "Century Akao Collection" includes approximately 15,000 volumes from Shigemi Komatsu's former library. The greatest feature of this collection is that it gathers Japanese classical books related to the human act of "writing characters" with an unparalleled breadth. His stance of collecting not only rare and unusual books that are typically sought after, but even the most common books, reflects Komatsu's extraordinary passion for surveying culture and history through written materials.

Currently, a meticulous re-investigation and cataloging of this vast former collection is underway at the Keio University Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko). In March 2025, an exhibition showcasing the work-in-progress of this investigation, titled "Adventures of a Book Hunter: Records of the Shigemi Komatsu Collection Survey I," will be held at the Keio Museum Commons. The exhibition will introduce a portion of this diverse collection, ranging from the "Koan Reisetsu" (late Kamakura to Nanboku-cho period, top left), a protocol regarding the etiquette of court nobles, and a book formerly owned by Sadanobu Matsudaira with a beautiful Suminagashi (marbled) binding (top center), to the "Kanke Shosoku Engi" (1810), written by a calligraphy teacher said to have been initiated into the calligraphy style of Sugawara no Michizane.

(Yu Homma, Assistant Professor, Keio Museum Commons)