Kenji ・ Takuboku

Since its opening, the library has gone to great lengths to collect materials of Kenji Miyazawa and Takuboku Ishikawa, ranging from their own originals works through to biographies and research thesis’s about these two great writers and products of Iwate Prefecture.

Their works are the defining features of the library, and the various materials contained within ‘The Takuboku Collection’ and ‘Kenji Collection’ are in great demand. Moreover, the library periodically holds ‘Kenji Article Exhibitions’ and ‘Takuboku Article Exhibitions’ to display these collections.

The Kenji Collection includes a variety of his precious works such as the fairytale‘Chumon no Ooi Ryoriten’, the first publication of his book of poems published before his death,‘Haru to Shura’, and the ‘Kokuyaku Myoho Rengekyo’which his father published 1000 copies and distributed to Kenji’s friends as requested in Kenji’s will.

The research of Koyo Yoshida, first researcher of Takuboku Ishikawa, forms the base of the Takuboku collection. Starting with Takuboku’s book of poems ‘Akogare’, and his verses ‘Ichiaku no suna’ and ‘Kanashiki gangu’ published before his death, this collection also includes the magazines ‘Shotenchi’ and ‘Subaru’ that Takubuku himself was involved in publishing.,

The prefectural library holds a wide variety of Iwate Folk Material dating from the Edo Period through to the present.

The Iwate Folk Resources were gathered from a variety of sources. These include archival sources such as Naishiryaku’- the largest historical record of the Morioka Clan at the end of the Edo Period, ‘Kikinko’- writings of the devastating Iwate famines, and the ‘Sankoshokakeizu’- the genealogical tree of the Morioka Clan. The library’s ‘Iwate Folk Resources’ section also includes the ‘Iwate Folk Education Materials’ collection, gathered by Iwate ‘Jinjo’Primary/High Schools as part of a survey conducted jointly by the Iwate Prefectural Government and the Iwate Prefectural Education Board to commemorate the 2600 year of the Koki (Imperial) Calendar.