FEW in China know that former Japanese prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa is an enthusiast of traditional Chinese culture, particularly poetry from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Hosokawa, who now heads Eisei Bunko, a Tokyo-based private archive and museum, was in Beijing for the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan on Tuesday, when he also donated 4,175 copies of ancient Chinese-language books from his own collection to the National Library of China.

Eisei Bunko has housed more than 100,000 artworks and literary files since the 14th century.

“Cao Pi (a Chinese emperor who founded the Wei Dynasty in 220) had said that literary works are crucial to run a country and build prosperity,” Hosokawa, 80, said at the ceremony. “The books are evidence of the communication between the two countries in ancient time.”

Hosokawa, who was prime minister from 1993 to 1994, tried to mend ties with China and other Asian neighbors by acknowledging that Japan had waged a war of aggression during World War II.

Now, he would like to contribute more toward Sino-Japanese relations, he says.

Hosokawa reveals that many of the books he donated were collected by his grandfather and father.

According to Zhang Zhiqing, deputy director of the National Library, this is the largest one-time donation the Beijing institution has received.

A special exhibition that runs through late July also kicked off at the National Museum of Classic Books, an affiliate of the NLC, on Tuesday, seeking to promote the ancient books among visitors. More than 50 copies from the new endowment are on display alongside 44 copies of ancient Chinese books from the library’s original inventory, which have similar contents and thus offer comparison.

“The books donated (by Hosokawa) are quality material but with some missing parts,” Lin Shitian, a researcher of ancient books at the NLC, says, adding that the variety will offer significant reference for academic studies.

The more than 4,000 books fall into 36 categories, including 25 published in China and later taken abroad and 11 printed in Japan.

According to Luo Shugang, minister of Culture and Tourism, more cooperation between the NLC and Eisei Bunko will follow on collections, studies and exhibitions.

“We will use this opportunity to improve communication between Chinese and Japanese libraries,” he said, adding that it would be a way to acknowledge the donation of the books.

(China Daily)