Japanese Manuscripts and Early Printed Books

In 1927 Dr. J.E. de Becker, the translator of the Japanese codes and an authority on Japanese law, gave the Law Library a substantial collection of printed Japanese legal materials. In the mid-1930s the Library acquired, in part by gift, but largely through purchase, a sizable number of Japanese legal manuscripts and early printed books. While this collection cannot not compete with similar Japanese collections, it is considered one of the best collections outside of Japan.

In the early 1970s the Government of Japan had the Law Library's collection of Japanese manuscripts and early printed books microfilmed.