Textual Study on Editions of Song Dynasties Handed Down to Japan—On the Establishment of Kanazawa Library

This paper discusses editions of Song Dynasties handed down to Japan in medieval Age with historical accounts, and outlines its path eastward to Japan. It points that books into Ping'an were mostly limited to those taken by merchants as bribery presents in Song Dynasties. The large-scale entry occurred during the late Song and the early Yuan period— the Kamakura Shogunate, which was closely related to the establishment of Kanazawa library's foundation. Based on situation analysis then in East Asia seas, Houjyuo Sanetoki, a Shogunate minister bought a large number of books from China in 1258-1266 A. D. The purpose was to establish a new cultural authority of Shogunate against traditional royal nobles in Kyoto, which was constantly used by the later Japanese samurai governments.